Iva Obrusnikova, an associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, has been selected as a Fellow with the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (IFAPA).

The IFAPA Fellows Recognition Program recognizes and promotes outstanding accomplishments in scholarship and service by IFAPA members. Fellow status is awarded to IFAPA members who have made significant contributions in the field of adapted physical activity.

Obrusnikova has been at UD since 2006 and serves as director of the Health Behavior Science health and disability concentration and the Health and Disability Lab in BHAN. Her research examines how technology-based behavioral strategies promote functional performance, physical activity, health-related fitness and independence in adults with developmental disabilities.

Her research with children with developmental disabilities focuses on the role of physical activity and motor skills in the reduction of cardiometabolic risk factors. She developed and validated scales assessing challenging situations that educators, families or peers without disabilities encounter when working with children with developmental disabilities in physical activity settings. In addition to work at UD, she is leading a number of state initiatives to promote equality, health and community-engagement among individuals with disabilities.

She will be presented with the award on Friday, June 18^th at the virtual closing ceremony of the International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity (ISAPA).