Nancy Getchell

Associate Professor
Health, Nutrition, & Exercise Sciences
157 Human Performance Lab
302-831-6682
getchell@udel.edu

Research Interests

• Development of interlimb coordination
• Development of motor control in multilimb tasks

Education

• Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1996
• M.S., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1989
• B.S., The Pennsylvania State University, 1985

Professional Experience

• 2005-present, Associate Professor, University of Delaware
• 2001-2005, Assistant Professor, University of Delaware
• 1996 - 2001, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Courses

• HESC 250, Motor Development
• HESC 400, Research Methods
• HESC 484, Women in Sports
• HESC 650, Life Span Motor Development
• HESC 657, Seminar in Motor Behavior
• HESC 807, Motor Learning and Control

Recent Publications

• Getchell, N. (in press). Age and task-related differences in timing stability, consistency and natural frequency of children’s rhythmic, motor coordination. Developmental Psychobiology.
• Whitall, J, Getchell, N., McMenamin,S., Horn. C., Wilms-Floet, A, and Clark, J.(in press). Perception-action coupling in children with and without DCD: Frequency locking between task relevant auditory signals and motor responses in a dual motor task. Submitted to Child: Care, health, and development.
• Gagen, L. and Getchell, N. (in press). Using ‘Constraints’ to Design Developmentally Appropriate Movement Activities for Early Childhood Education. Early Childhood Education Journal.
• Getchell, N. and Gagen, L. (2006). Interpreting disabilities from a ‘constraints’ theoretical perspective: Encouraging movement for all children. Palaestra, 22, 20 – 53.
• Getchell, N. and Pabreja, P. (2006). Revisiting the development of time-sharing using a dual motor task performance. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 77, 131 – 136.
• Haywood, K. and Getchell, N. (2005). Life Span Motor Development, 4th Edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
• Clark, J. E., Getchell, N., Smiley-Oyen, A., and Whitall, J. (2005). Developmental Coordination Disorder: Identification, issues, and interventions. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 76, 49-53.
• Getchell, N., McMenamin, S. and Whitall, J. (2005). Dual motor task coordination in children with and without learning disabilities: Effects of task complexity and short-term practice. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly.
• Gagen, L. and Getchell, N. (2004). Combining theory and practice in the gymnasium: ‘Constraints’ within an ecological perspective. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 75, 25-30.
• Getchell, N. and Whitall, J. (2004). Transitions to and from asymmetric gait patterns. Journal of Motor Behavior, 36, 13 – 27.
• Getchell, N. and Whitall, J. (2003). How do children coordinate simultaneous upper and lower extremity tasks? The development of dual motor task coordination. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 85, 120 – 140
• Barela, J.A., Black, P., Whitall, J., Getchell, N. and Clark, J.E. (2002). Hemiplegic intralimb coordination: A dynamical systems approach. Brazilian Journal of Biomechanics, 3, 5 – 14.
• Getchell, N., Forrester, L and Whitall, J. (2001). Individual differences and similarities in the stability, timing consistency and natural frequency of rhythmic coordinated actions. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 27, 13 – 21
• Haywood, K. and Getchell, N. (2001). Life Span Motor Development, 3 rd Edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Honors, Awards, and Major Professional Offices Held

• Section Editor (Growth and Motor Development), Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport.
• Motor Development Academy Chair, National Association for Sport and Physical Education, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (2003 – 2006)
• Motor Development Research Consortium conference organizer, 2004
• The Lolas. E. Halverson Memorial Young Investigator Award (AAHPERD) (2001)
• Motor Development program coordinator, 2001 conference for the North American Society for Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA)