Vanessa Fiaud

Dr. Vanessa Fiaud serves as Professor of Sports and Exercise Science in the Department of Sports and Exercise Sciences at West Texas A&M University's College of Nursing and Health Sciences, where she has held faculty positions since 2009. She currently directs the Biomechanics laboratory and coordinates the Master's degree program in Sports and Exercise Science.

Her academic credentials include:

• Licence in English and Business Law from La Sorbonne Paris III, France
• M.Ed. in Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance from Southwestern Oklahoma State University
• Ph.D. in Kinesiology with Biomechanics and Statistics concentrations from Texas Woman’s University

Research centers on biomechanical analysis of balance-related injury mechanisms, gender-specific responses to obesity in athletic performance, sports somatotyping applications, and challenges faced by international student athletes in U.S. higher education. Her work appears in publications including Gait & Posture and the International Journal of Kinesiology in Higher Education, alongside co-authorship of the book chapter "Biomechanics and Skill Analysis" in Coaching for Sports Performance.

Professional engagement includes leadership roles in the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE), membership in the South Central American Society of Biomechanics (SCASB) and SHAPE, with certifications in Department Chair (NAKHE), John Hopkins contact tracing, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

As Graduate Coordinator, she oversees Master's student advising and curriculum development while managing the Biomechanics laboratory's research operations focused on sports injury prevention and performance optimization.