Springfield College Exercise Science and Sports Studies Professor

By: Damon Markiewicz

Springfield College Professor of Exercise Science and Sports Studies Jasmin Hutchinson, PhD, was awarded a very prestigious Visiting Fellowship by the University of Jyväskylä (JYU) in Finland. Hutchinson recently spent three weeks in Finland completing the first part of her fellowship hosted by the JYU Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies, and working within the Center of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body, and Brain.

The aim of the JYU visiting fellow program is to support high-quality research, and strengthen global engagement and strategic collaboration with international partners. Hutchinson was selected as a respected Springfield College faculty member with a strong research profile centering around psychophysiological aspects of exercise behavior and the effects of music during exercise.

“I am delighted to receive this prestigious award, and overall, it’s a great opportunity to represent Springfield College internationally,” explained Hutchinson, who is also the Springfield College director of graduate studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology. “This fellowship connects me to new research and ongoing projects related to music, sport, and health. It’s a great opportunity to collaborate and develop new ideas for interdisciplinary cooperation.”

A certified mental performance consultant through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and a certified exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine, Hutchinson has been an esteemed faculty member at Springfield College since 2010. She was awarded the Sport and Exercise Psychology Paper of the Year by the American Psychological Association in 2018.

As part of being named a visiting fellow with the JYU, Hutchinson is automatically part of an international and multidisciplinary university community focused on high-level teaching, learning, research, and innovation. JYU has seven Research Centers of Excellence designated by the Research Council of Finland, which are at the very cutting edge of science in their fields. The University is also home to the Finnish Institute of High Performance Sport, which Hutchinson visited during her recent stay in Jyväskylä.

“The JYU community has been so welcoming, and this experience has allowed for some impactful conversations regarding our research areas,” explained Hutchinson. It’s been a great experience so far, and I am looking forward to continuing the collaboration when I return in September.”

At JYU, Hutchinson is part of the Sound Science Lab which advances research at the intersection of the creative and brain sciences. Recently the team, led by lab director and senior researcher Geoff Luck, PhD, were awarded grant funding for their project "The Power of Music for Sport & Physical Activity (MPOWER)”. The three-year, €450,000 (Euro dollar), approximately $530,000, award will support research investigating how music can promote physically active lifestyles, increase sports participation, and enhance results in competitive sport.

“I am thrilled to be part of the MPOWER project, which brings together an exceptional team of researchers across disciplines and countries to explore how music can be harnessed to support more active, healthier lives," said Hutchinson. "It’s an exciting opportunity to contribute to a project that is both scientifically innovative and deeply relevant to public health and performance.”

During Hutchinson’s recent visit, she was invited to be the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Joint Seminar on Music, Sport. This annual event is hosted by the Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies at JYU, and is co-organized with the faculty of Sport and Health Sciences.

“It was an amazing honor to be the keynote speaker alongside so many impressive researchers,” explained Hutchinson. “I was able to learn a lot from the other speakers as well as showcase some of the impactful research we are doing at Springfield College.”

The main emphasis of Hutchinson’s visiting fellowship is focused on research collaboration, but visiting fellows can also participate in educational activities at JYU. As part of Hutchinson’s fellowship, she taught a module for JYU’s Intomusic Summer School. This educational experience provides selected students from a network of European universities with a comprehensive understanding of music’s impact on individuals and society. Lectures and workshops cover a range of applied topics, including embodied music listening, music and emotions, music information processing, and relationships between music, health, and wellbeing.

“Overall, the visiting fellowship experience has been very fulfilling and I am looking forward to continuing this rewarding collaboration with the great faculty and staff at JYU,” concluded Hutchinson. “It’s always fun to collaborate with professionals who share a similar passion for music research.”