This edition of Alumni Spotlight features Dr. Jennifer Mackenzie Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs completed her M.S. in Kinesiology in 2011 under the advisement of LSPPE faculty member Dr. Barbara Meyer. Following her time at UWM, Dr. Jacobs completed a PhD in Educational Psychology at Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Illinois) in 2016. Presently, she holds the position of Endowed Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at the same institution. In this role, she instructs sport psychology and sport sociology courses and mentors graduate students. Her research focuses on the role of sport within marginalized populations. Alongside her academic endeavors, Jenn co-directs Project FLEX, the first sport-based youth development program implemented in a juvenile justice statewide prison system. This program aims to foster sport leadership among incarcerated youth.
When asked for comment, Dr. Meyer said, “We are thrilled by the selection of Dr. Jacobs for this Alumni Spotlight. As a graduate student at UWM, Jenn brought energy, curiosity, and spontaneity. She was a valuable member of the LSPPE, and an invaluable teaching assistant. The work she has done at Northern Illinois expands the boundaries of sport and performance psychology as a discipline and serves as an exemplar for community engagement.”
To catch up with Dr. Jacobs about her career and life after UWM, we asked her a few questions:
Why did you choose the MS program for your graduate study?
I came to UWM to work with Dr. Meyer. I was drawn to her work with high-level athletes and her reputation in the field as a renowned professional doing cutting-edge work. She amply prepared me for being a faculty member and, most importantly, helped me identify what realm in sport psychology I wanted to make my mark.
What was your favorite part about your experience in the MS program?
The rigor of coursework and room for electives. I loved my sport psychology classes, and I also had space for courses outside the department, including a sociology class about my favorite TV show, The Wire.
How did your experience as a member of the LSPPE prepare you for your current position?
Research—research—research! I had the opportunity to be involved in every stage of the research process, which gave me a leg up on my doctoral degree. I also learned so much about the processes behind being a faculty member, what goes into course preparation, service to the university, presenting at conferences, and collaborating with outside entities.
How have you utilized your education in sport and performance psychology in your current position?
Yes, I still pull out my sport psych notebook often to revisit topics that I teach in class! I find myself repeating some of the best lessons I learned from UWM to my students – don’t use misplaced modifiers in your research papers, find something to be a beginner at so you don’t forget how to learn, read a new research article each week, and don’t assume the best and only route is to sport psych is wanting to work in elite level sports, there’s way more out there!
What advice would you give incoming or current graduate students?
When you have a vision of what career you want to go into – keep asking yourself, ‘Why?’ ‘What elements attract me to this?’ ‘What are my motivations?’ I had to take a hard look at my goals during my master’s program and realized I didn’t want to follow the route of being a practicing sport psychology consultant like I had originally intended. It took a lot of soul-searching and reflecting with my advisor, Dr. Meyer, to figure this out. She helped me remember to commit to being a lifelong learner and always deepening your passion, which ultimately led me to the faculty role I am in today.
For more information on studying Sport and Performance Psychology at UWM, please explore our website and/or contact Dr. Meyer (bbmeyer@uwm.edu) or Dr. Arvinen-Barrow (arvinenb@uwm.edu).