Mark D Ricard

Mark D Ricard is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), part of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation. His research focuses on biomechanics of human movement, injury prevention, and optimizing musculoskeletal health through analyzing joint forces and moments. Ricard has held academic roles since 1986, transitioning from Illinois State University to UTA in 2005. He earned a PhD in Biomechanics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (1986), an MAT in Physical Education from Southeast Missouri State University (1982), and a BS in Physical Education from the University of Vermont (1978).

• Recipient of multiple teaching awards, including the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2010) and numerous Outstanding Academic Advisor recognitions.
• Led federally funded research projects (NSF, NIH), including REU programs in assistive technologies for disabilities and studies on cardio-mechanical interactions in heart failure.
• Published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Journal of Biomedical Optics, International Journal of Sports Medicine, and European Heart Journal.

Ricard's research spans sports biomechanics, rehabilitation engineering, and musculoskeletal health. Notable projects include developing mouse models for osteoarthritis and analyzing wheelchair mobility biomechanics. He has advised doctoral students on topics like ACL rehabilitation and trunk function in manual wheelchair users. His work integrates clinical applications with advanced technologies such as near-infrared spectroscopy and dynamic posturography.

Grants include a $4M NIH grant (2024) studying neural-motor interactions in aging populations and a $600K NSF grant for fall prevention exoskeleton research. Ricard serves on editorial boards for Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science and reviews for Annals of Biomedical Engineering.