Joan L. Duda PhD

Joan L. Duda is a Professor of Sports Psychology in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at The University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Psychology, at the University of Bergen, Norway. She completed her B.A. (1977) in psychology at Rutgers University, her M.S. degree (1978) in physical education at Purdue University, and her Ph.D. (1981) in Sport Psychology/Kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Professor Duda is internationally known for her expertise on motivational processes and determinants of adherence and optimal functioning in sports, exercise, and dance. She is an experienced mental skills consultant, working with athletes, coaches/instructors, and other performers at all levels. Joan is the Director of a large multi-national EC-funded project which aims to promote quality engagement in youth sport (www.empoweringcoaching.co.uk), exemplifying her interests in developing, implementing, and evaluating theory-based interventions in healthy and clinical populations across the lifespan.