College of Education and Human Development

School of Kinesiology

Alex Garn

  • Professor, Sport and Exercise Psychology; Director, School of Kinesiology

Headshot of Alex Garn

Areas of interest

  • Achievement motivation
  • Psychosocial determinants of physical activity and learning
  • Health behavior change
  • Psychological measurement
Degrees
  • PhD, Human Performance, Indiana University, 2007
  • MS, Kinesiology, University of Wyoming, 2000
  • BS, Physical Education, University of Northern Iowa, 1996
Biography

Alex Garn, PhD, is a professor and the director of the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on psychosocial determinants of physical activity with an emphasis on achievement motivation and behavior change. Specifically, his research explores the role of cognition (e.g., beliefs; emotions; goals; self-regulation) as mechanisms that link contextual factors to outcomes such as engagement, performance, and behavior. His research emphasizes the intersection of theoretical advancement, methodological rigor, and translational impact. His interdisciplinary research has been consistently published in top-tier journals such as Psychology of Sport & Exercise, Health Psychology, Journal of Educational Psychology, and Journal of Science & Medicine in Sport. 

Garn advocates a person-centered approach to leadership that emphasizes empowerment, advocacy, communication, and inclusion. He promotes a strength-based climate that accentuates shared governance, social integration, and evidence-based decision-making. Garn has a history of distinguished service in both professional and institutional capacities. He is an active member of the American Kinesiology Association and has mentored numerous award wining graduate students, faculty, and staff. He is currently accepting new graduate students for Fall 2025.

Awards and honors

  • 2023 American Kinesiology Association Leadership Institute Fellow
  • 2018 University of Northern Iowa School of Kinesiology, Allied Health, and Human Services Hall of Excellence Alumni Award
  • 2017 Louisiana State University College of Human Sciences & Education Distinguished Research Award
  • 2014 University of Wyoming Division of Kinesiology & Health Alumnus of the Year

Teaching

Courses in sport and exercise psychology, health behavior change, and higher education leadership, policy, and pedagogy.

Publications

Google Scholar
UMN Experts
Orcid ID

[* denotes publication with current/former graduate student]

  1. *Stroope, J., & Garn, A.C. (2024). Perception of place, active transportation, and community participation: A mediation analysis. Journal of Transport and Health, 36, 101812.
  2. *Garn, A.C., & Simonton, K.L. (2023). Prolonged sitting in university students: An intra-individual study exploring physical activity value as a deterrent. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 1891.
  3. *Garn, A.C., & Simonton, K.L. (2022). Motivation beliefs, emotions, leisure-time physical activity, and sedentary behavior in university students: A full longitudinal model of mediation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 58, 102077.
  4. *Simonton, K. L., Mercier, K., Centeio, E., Barcelona, J., Phillips, S., & Garn, A.C. (2021). Development of Youth Physical Activity Attitude Scale (YPAAS) for elementary and middle school students. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 25, 110–126. 
  5. *Garn, A.C. & Simonton, K.L. (2020). Young adults’ short-term trajectories of moderate physical activity: Relations with self-evaluation processes. Frontiers in Psychology: Movement Science and Sport Psychology, 11, 2079.
  6. Garn, A.C., Morin, A.J.S., White, R. L., Owen, K. B., Donley, W., & Lonsdale, C. (2020). Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity as a predictor of changes in physical self-concept in adolescents. Health Psychology, 39, 190–198.