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.
Ross Leach is a doctoral student in the Springfield College Sport and Exercise Psychology program. He currently serves as the Institutional Review Board and thesis/dissertation graduate associate within the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship. Additionally, he conducts his applied practice at American International College as one of their two lead mental performance consultants. Prior to attending Springfield College, Ross attended the University of Central Florida (UCF) where he received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, on the Clinical Psychology track. Following his time at UCF, Ross studied at Barry University where he received his Master of Science in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology (SEPP). While at Barry, he served as the graduate assistant for the SEPP program and was a graduate mental performance consultant with the university’s baseball team. His master’s thesis examined the effect of lyrics within self-selected music during exercise. Ross’ current research interests include the music-performance relationship and exploring the use of musical imagery within athlete performance.
Kady Long (she/her) is a PhD student in the Sport and Exercise Psychology program at Springfield College. She serves as the research and statistics graduate fellow under Anna Bottino, PhD, where she teaches and assists graduate-level courses and provides support on research projects. She conducts her applied practice as a consultant with the Springfield College softball team and serves as one of the program leads at American International College. Kady also works as a certified personal trainer, certified functional strength coach, and sports performance specialist with a variety of populations. Prior to pursuing her PhD, Kady obtained her Master of Science in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Springfield College. Her thesis, titled “Relationship between Motivation, Enjoyment, Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction, and Exercise Participation in Peloton Users,” is currently in review for publication. Kady’s current research interests include the use of music in exercise, exercise adherence, and coach-athlete relationships. She is conducting a systematic review on the use of music in exercise and will be presenting an exploratory study on coach-athlete care under the COMPASS model this fall at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology in Montreal.
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.
