Top kinesiology award goes to UW-Madison professor

William P. Morgan, a professor emeritus of kinesiology and renowned sports psychologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, is the newest recipient of the Hetherington Award, the highest award bestowed by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education for those providing outstanding leadership and significant contributions to those fields.

Morgan developed the “iceberg profile” in the 1970s to describe the mood characteristics of marathon runners and other athletes, among other accomplishments. Morgan found, through psychological testing, that compared to U.S. norms, athletes scored significantly lower in negative mental health traits such as tension, depression, anger, fatigue and confusion, but significantly higher for vigor. Morgan’s work presented a correlation between exercise and a decrease in anxiety that was confirmed in dozens of subsequent studies in both serious and recreational athletes.

In addition to more than 25 years of work at UW–Madison, Morgan has served the International Olympic Committee, the Institute of Medicine, the American Psychological Association and other organizations. He has edited four books and authored more than 100 papers on sports psychology.