As an undergraduate, Associate Professor Andy Pitchford identified an unmet need – and made it his life’s mission to resolve it.
His dedication to bridging the critical gap in health equity for students with disabilities not only is transforming their lives but also society as a whole.
Through innovative research and targeted interventions, he is addressing these students’ unique needs and helping to ensure they receive the support and opportunities they deserve both in school and in life.
What made you decide to get into your field? Is there one specific moment that inspired your career path?
I originally got into the field of adapted physical education because I saw that students with disabilities were not being properly served in physical education. I thought I could do better.
One particularly memorable experience was when I was a junior or senior in college earning my BS. I was observing an adapted physical education class at a local high school. It was awful.
There was no dedicated space for the class, minimal support and resources from the school and limited participation among students. That was a very frustrating, but ultimately inspiring, experience.
I came to Oregon State University to be trained in adapted physical education before teaching in public schools. I now view the purpose of my faculty role in this field is to train and inspire future physical educators who will do this important work.
What does your current research entail?
My research focuses on promoting physical activity, physical fitness, and motor behavior to address health disparities among individuals with developmental disabilities across the lifespan.
My two primary research areas are to 1) develop appropriate assessments for individuals with disabilities to improve health research and practices in the field, and 2) identify, design and evaluate targeted interventions for health promotion.
What inspired you to focus on this research area?
In line with training the next generation of adapted physical educators, my field is still in need of more high-quality assessments and evidence-based practices.
A key part of my research is to generate evidence that can improve practices in adapted physical education and broader community based physical activity opportunities for people with disabilities across the lifespan.
How does your work make a difference?
People with disabilities are a population with recognized health disparities. This is due, in part, to a lack of equitable physical activity opportunities. I hope that my work helps to make progress toward a world in which everyone can access physical activity.
Are there any exciting upcoming projects or goals you’re working toward?
My research team recently received an Autism FIRST grant – Field-Initiated Research Study – from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
The grant is for “Developing equitable fitness assessments for youth with autism and other developmental disabilities.” As the project PI, I will coordinate the research team from six academic institutions and develop a network of 100 public schools with the goal of improving fitness assessment practices for youth with disabilities.
The outcome of the project is to integrate tests and standards specific to students with disabilities into the commonly used fitness battery, FitnessGram, to make a more equitable assessment for all students.
How do you think your field will evolve in the next 5-10 years?
In recent years, my field has embraced more qualitative research to be able to amplify the lived experiences of individuals. My hope is that mixed methods research becomes the predominant paradigm so that we can continue capturing individuals’ experiences, but also evaluate change with appropriate quantitative analyses.
How do you collaborate with other researchers, either within the college or internationally?
Collaboration is a key element of my research, and it takes on many forms.
My current primary project is a collaboration between researchers at six institutions. I also have a longstanding collaboration with a colleague at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, to evaluate a community-based physical activity program for autistic youth and their parents.
Lastly, I collaborate with Special Olympics in a variety of ways. I’m currently partnering with Special Olympics Oregon to provide and evaluate fitness programming for teams in central Oregon.
I am also a consultant with Special Olympics International for health research and evaluation and serve as a research site for national and international studies conducted by that research team.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it?
This isn’t direct advice, but as a teenager, my dad put a sign on my bedroom door with the John Wooden quote, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” I try to keep that mentality to this day, but I probably don’t refer back to it often enough.
What are your favorite activities outside of work?
I like to play golf, go hiking, explore local craft beer, and spend time with my wife, Lisa, who is delightful!