Dr. Kosma is currently a tenured, Associate Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. Dr. Kosma’s research line focuses on the examination of psychosocial determinants of physical activity and the relation between physical activity and health among such populations as adults with physical disabilities and older adults. She publishes her research in peer-reviewed journals and she presents her research papers at national and international scientific conferences. In her teaching, she includes service-learning experiences to enhance student learning by applying theory to practice. She advises graduate students and she reviews articles in scientific journals. She received several honors and awards, including the 2011 Oregon State University Young Alumni Award, the Mabel Lee Award in 2007 (a high honor for a young professional with regards to scholarship, teaching, and service) and an Emerging Scholar Award on Health, Wellness and Disability in 2008. She also obtained Fellow status in the Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) in 2008.
Selected Publications
Ellis, R., Kosma, M., Fabre, J.M., Moore, D.S., & Wood, R.H. (in press). Proximal determinants of falls risk among independent-living older adults. Research on Aging.
Ellis, R., Kosma, M., & Symons Downs, D. (in press). Moderators of youth exercise intention and behavior. Health Education and Behavior.
Kosma, M., Ellis, R., & Bauer, J.J. (2012). Longitudinal changes in psychosocial constructs and physical activity among adults with physical disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 5, 1-8. Available at: http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1936-6574/PIIS1936657411000732.pdf
Zhang, T., Solmon, M. A., Gao, Z., & Kosma, M. (2012). Promoting school students’ physical activity: A social ecological perspective. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 24, 92-105.
Moore, D.S., Ellis, R., Kosma, M., Fabre, J.M., McCarter, K.S., & Wood, R.H. (2011). Comparison of the validity of four fall-related psychological measures in a community-based falls risk screening. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 82, 545-554.
Gao, Z., Liu, Y., Lodewyk, K., Zhang, T., & Kosma, M. (2011). Reliability and validity of outcome expectancy-related measures in physical education. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 15, 155-167.
Zhang, T., Solmon, M.A., Kosma, M., Carson, R., & Gu, X. (2011). Need support, need satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, and physical activity participation among middle school students. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 30, 51-68.
Kosma, M., & Ellis, R. (2010). Establishing construct validity of a stages-of-change algorithm for physical activity. American Journal of Health Promotion, 25, e11-e20.
Fabre, J.M., Ellis, R., Kosma, M., Moore, D.S., McCarter, K.S., & Wood, R.H. (2010). Development and validation of the comprehensive falls risk screening instrument. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 28, 181-194. Available at: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/pdfplus/10.3109/02703181003640124
Gao, Z., Lee, A.M., Kosma, M., & Solmon, M.A. (2010). Understanding students’ motivation in middle school physical education: Examining the mediating role of self-efficacy on physical activity. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 41, 199-215.
Ellis, R., Kosma, M., Cardinal, B.J., Bauer, J.J., & McCubbin, J.A. (2009). A comparison of two measures of physical activity among adults with physical disabilities: The issue of scale correspondence. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 21, 393-407. Available at: http://www.springerlink.com/content/a038861385881431/fulltext.pdf
Kosma, M., Ellis, R., Cardinal, B.J., Bauer, J.J., & McCubbin, J.A. (2009). Psychosocial predictors of physical activity and health-related quality of life among adults with physical disabilities: An integrative framework. Disability and Health Journal, 2, 104-109.
Winchester F., Ellis R., Kosma, M., Cherry, K.E., Allen, P.D., Monroe, P.A., & Wood, R.H. (2009). Predictors of ADL disability in culturally diverse older adults. International Journal of Exercise Science, 2, 202-214.
Selected Presentations
Kosma, M., & Kim, T. (2012, April). Predictors of physical activity and falls risks among diverse older adults. Poster presentation at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
Kosma, M., & Kasser, S. (2012, April). Psychosocial predictors of physical activity among adults with multiple sclerosis. Poster presentation at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
Kosma, M (2011, November). Do health promoters have people in mind? FEATURED SPEAKER for the “Classes without Quizzes” homecoming seminar at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.
Ellis, R., Kosma, M., Fabre, J.M., Moore, D.S., Antikainen, I., Baptiste, C., Kim, T., & Wood, R.H. (2011, November). Sociodemographic characteristics and falls risk factors among independent-living older adults. Paper presentation at the annual scientific meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Boston, MA.
Kosma, M., Ellis, R., & Bauer, J.J. (2011, June). Longitudinal changes in psychosocial constructs and physical activity among adults with physical disabilities. Paper presentation at the International Conference of the Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), Athens, Greece.
Kim, T., & Kosma, M. (2011, April). Determinants of physical activity and falls risks among older adults. Paper presentation at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance convention, San Diego, CA.
Kim, T., & Kosma, M. (2010, June). Application of the transtheoretical model among diverse older adults using a modified, stages-of-change scale. Paper presentation at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, Tucson, AZ.
Ellis, R., Kosma, M., & Symons Downs, D. (2010, June). Moderators of youth exercise intention and behavior. Paper presentation at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, Tucson, AZ.
Kosma, M., & Ellis, R. (2010, March). Stages-of-change physical activity scale for adults with physical disabilities. Poster presentation at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance convention, Indianapolis, IN.
Ellis, R., Moore, D., Kosma, M., Fabre, J., & Wood, R. (2009, November). An examination of the sensitivity of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale. Poster presentation at the scientific meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Atlanta, GA.
Kosma, M., Ellis, R., & Li, L. (2009, July). Application of the transtheoretical model for physical activity among older adults with peripheral neuropathy. Paper presentation at the International Conference of the Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER), Athens, Greece.
Kosma, M., Ellis, R., & Li, L. (2009, April). Predictors of physical activity among older adults with peripheral neuropathy. Poster presentation at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance convention, Tampa, FL.
Moore, S.D., Ellis, R., Kosma, M., Fabre, J., McCarter, K.S., & Wood, R.H. (2009, April). RC grant findings: validation of fall-related psychological measures among independent-living older adults. Poster presentation at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance convention, Tampa, FL.