Jafra D. Thomas, MA, MPH and PhD candidate, kinesiology, has been recognized by the American Kinesiology Association (AKA) with two awards. Both are described under the broad heading, “In recognition of outstanding academic and leadership accomplishments, AKA is proud to name Jafra Thomas of Oregon State University as 1) a 2019 AKA Graduate Student Writing Award Recipient, committed to promoting and enhancing kinesiology as a unified field of study and to advancing its many applications; and 2) a 2019 AKA Doctoral Scholar, committed to promoting and enhancing kinesiology as a unified field of study and to advancing its many applications.”
Jafra, who joined the kinesiology program in 2014 on a Diversity Advancement Pipeline Graduate Fellowship Award, completed his MPH at OSU along with a graduate certificate in college and university teaching. He will defend his doctoral dissertation in May. Upon graduating in June, he will join the faculty of Cal Poly San Louis Obispo as a tenure-track, assistant professor in the kinesiology and public health department, College of Science and Mathematics.