Meet our Students - Sport and Exercise Psychology (PhD)
Bianca De Lucia is entering her third year as a PhD student in the Springfield College Sport and Exercise Psychology program in fall 2024. She currently serves as a Sport and Exercise Psychology fellow under Professor Jasmin Hutchinson, PhD. This role allows De Lucia to instruct undergraduate students in the AEXS 270: Exercise Psychology course. Additionally, she volunteers as a cross country/track and field coach at Springfield College.
Before joining Springfield College, De Lucia earned her Master of Science in Exercise and Sports Science from Sacred Heart University, where she also served as a Sports Science graduate assistant, primarily working with Division I men's and women's basketball teams. Her undergraduate journey at Sacred Heart University led her to a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology and Genetics. Also, throughout her undergraduate experience, she competed as a Division I cross country/track and field athlete.
Currently, De Lucia holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting Level 1, and a current CPR/ First Aid/ Automated External Defibrillator certification.
Anna Bottino is a third-year PhD candidate in the Springfield College Sport and Exercise Psychology program, where they are a research and teaching fellow. Their research interests center on the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals in sport. They are also a 2024 adidas x Athlete Ally Research Fellow and graduate mental performance consultant. Bottino earned a Master of Science in Sport Psychology from Ithaca College and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University at Albany, SUNY.
Michaela Banyi is a doctoral student in the Springfield College Sport and Exercise Psychology
program. She has served as an adjunct in the Department of Physical Education and Health Education and is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) graduate assistant. Prior to coming to Springfield College, Banyi received her master’s in Exercise Science from Point Loma Nazarene University. During her master’s studies, she served as the Exercise Physiology teaching assistant. She also holds a bachelor’s in Kinesiology from Westmont College. Banyi has experience integrating mental performance skills into various environments, including with Springfield College’s gymnastics team and in her wellness courses. Her research interests include studying individuals with polycystic ovarian syndrome and the barriers and facilitators they face regarding exercise.
Elia Burbidge is a PhD student in the Sport and Exercise Psychology program at Springfield
College. She previously studied at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) where she received her Master of Science in Sport and Exercise Psychology. At SIUE, Elia completed her thesis on perceptions and use of mental skills and sport psychology in collegiate hockey players, and the influence of hockey culture on these ideologies. She also studied at McKendree University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sport Psychology. While at McKendree, Burbidge played four years of Division I ice hockey for the Bearcats. She later transitioned into the role of assistant coach while completing her Master of Science for both the Bearcats and St. Louis AAA Lady Blues. Her research interests include perceptions and use of mental skills, hockey culture, and mental toughness.
