Alumni Association
Fran Cleland Donnelly - 2010 Patty Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient
Dr. Fran Cleland Donnelly received a bachelor’s in Physical Education from Purdue University and spent several years teaching physical education at the K-12 level in the states of Indiana, Virginia, and Oregon. She went on to earn both the master’s and doctorate in Physical Education from Indiana University. Dr. Cleland taught at the University of New Hampshire and in Pennsylvania at East Stroudsburg University and is currently at West Chester University where she is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology. She also serves at Assistant Chair of the Health and Physical Education Teacher Certification Program.
Dr. Cleland has distinguished herself as an excellent academic and tireless champion of developmental physical education. Currently, she is serving as lead author on the 5th edition of Developmental Physical Education for All Children. This well recognized textbook has been published in Japanese, Portuguese, Greek and Chinese. In terms of professional service, Dr. Cleland just completed a term as President of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, one of the largest and most influential organizations within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). She lectures nationally and internationally and has become one of the nations' most recognized and respected pedagogical experts.
