Kathryn Rougeau

Kathryn Rougeau, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Wellness and Health Promotion at Oakland University's School of Health Sciences. She also serves as Coordinator and teaches courses in health & well-being, physical disabilities, and special populations. Her research focuses on health promotion for individuals with visible/invisible disabilities, mechanisms of exercise affecting affect/emotion, and inclusive wellness practices in underserved groups.

Rougeau holds a BS from Oakland University and MS/PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her doctoral work examined passive cycling's placebo effects for spinal cord injury patients. Current research explores exercise impacts on cognitive function in firefighters and adaptive reasoning in disabled populations.

Key research themes include disability inclusion in sports, workplace accommodations for pregnant law enforcement officers, and ergonomic interventions in manufacturing. She has conducted over a dozen studies since 2015, with notable work on para-sport athlete identity and virtual reality exercise engagement.

Rougeau's teaching emphasizes practical application of wellness principles through Oakland University's interdisciplinary health sciences programs. She actively participates in professional organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine and contributes to community initiatives like the Health Science Summer Camps.