Crandall University is excited to announce the hiring of a new faculty member for the Kinesiology department, Dr. Sebastien Blanchette. Dr. Blanchette earned his PhD in Psychology (Research) from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières in his hometown of Trois-Rivières, Québec. His doctoral dissertation focused on active transportation in children and adults. It explored individual, social, and environmental factors as well as policies associated with active transportation (e.g. walking, cycling). Dr. Blanchette also collaborated in other studies on the subject of physical activity and is passionate about finding solutions to help people be more active, especially in an era marked by sedentary lifestyles.
In addition to his PhD, Dr. Blanchette also holds a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Kinesiology and a Master of Science in Physical Activity, both from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. His master’s thesis, which examined initiatives to prevent obesity in children, specifically explored the roles of various health and education professionals in relation to children’s physical activity as perceived by parents of overweight children involved in a support group.
Throughout his career, Dr. Blanchette has worked as a Kinesiologist in fitness and rehabilitation centers in Québec and British Columbia. He particularly enjoyed teaching and supervising Kinesiology undergraduates during their clinical internships. At Crandall, he will be teaching a variety of Kinesiology courses, both theoretical and practical.
“I am honored to join the Crandall community and excited to help in developing its Kinesiology program. I am coming to Moncton along with my wife Christa, who is from the Maritimes, and our two daughters,” shared Sebastien.
“Student interest in our new kinesiology major has been pleasantly strong. We are thrilled to add Dr. Blanchette to our faculty to serve the students in this major. He offers students both a strong theoretical and practical perspective in the field,” said Dr. Jon Ohlhauser, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.