Amanda Perkins-Ball, Membership Services Division Head

Amanda Perkins-Ball is an Associate Teaching Professor of Kinesiology at Rice University in Houston, TX. She joined the faculty at Rice in 2017, having previously held academic positions as Assistant Professor and Director of the Exercise & Sports Studies and Physical Education programs at Benedictine University in Chicago, as well as Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at Missouri State University. 

Her professional and research interests center on promoting physical activity among underserved populations and understanding the experiences of marginalized identities in sports and physical activity settings. Her recent work focuses on the athletic and academic identities of collegiate student-athletes, along with the development of inclusive pedagogical and advising practices. Amanda has authored over a dozen publications and delivered more than 40 presentations at state, national, and international conferences. She is also the recipient of several national teaching awards and was recently honored as an Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor for her contributions to mentoring student-athletes at Rice.

Dr. Perkins-Ball is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is the outgoing chair of the Diversity Committee for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). She is currently pursuing her Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) certification.

Finally, she completed her Ph.D. in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Exercise and Sport Psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. She earned her M.S.Ed. in Sport Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and received her B.S. degree in Health and Human Performance from the University of Louisville.