PRESIDENT (2025 -

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Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Drummond, USAF (retired), is a PhD candidate in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion at the University of Kentucky. Jon received his undergraduate degree in Behavioral Sciences (US Air Force Academy) and possesses master’s degrees in industrial/organizational psychology from Kansas State University and social psychology from Princeton University. Jon is a combat veteran and served in the US Air Force for 22.5 years, building and running such organizations as the Biobehavioral Systems Branch in the Air Force Research Laboratory and leading the Counter-Radicalization Branch in US Special Operations Command. In Afghanistan, Jon’s efforts directly supported both General McNeill (US Army) and Major General “Buster” Howes (UK’s Royal Marines Commandos). Following his military career, Jon was a defense contractor who psychologically profiled terrorists, spent several years structuring and improving Joint training and education across eleven information-related career fields, and built Joint Knowledge Online courses such as the “Influence Awareness” course. Throughout his life, Jon has competed in college football, combined services rugby, is a 7-time world champion powerlifter, and has studied multiple martial arts. Jon has coached youth and young adults in track & field, football, rugby, and powerlifting, and he has worked with youth in adaptive martial arts, dance, and climbing. Jon’s research interests include high performance coaching for all, exercise as medicine, non-pharmacological therapies and training for those with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities (ND), the value of sequenced physical activities (such as martial arts, dance, and climbing) as therapeutic interventions for those with ND, and women competing in stereotypically non-feminine sports (esp. powerlifting and mixed martial arts). The working title of Jon’s dissertation effort is “The Psychophysiological Impacts of Martial Arts for Youth with Autism: A Mixed Methods Study.”