Jonathan Casper, Ph.D.

Jonathan Casper is an Associate Professor and Sport Management Program Coordinator in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management in the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University.

Dr. Casper's research focuses on the psychological factors associated with sport participation and how these factors relate to the recruitment and retention of sports participants. His work informs marketing and administrators in the sports industry and ultimately contributes to improved human health through continued sport participation. He has published work in peer-reviewed journals such as the American Journal of Health Promotion, the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, and the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. He has received external funding from organizations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Aspen Institute. He has worked with local and international stakeholders through his research and consultation.

Susan Harris, PT, Ph.D., FCAHS

A Professor Emerita of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia, Susan is an original member of Abreast in a Boat, the world’s first Dragon Boat team comprised entirely of women living with breast cancer.  Dr. Harris’s research has examined safe levels of exercise for women with breast cancer and communication between cancer survivors and their healthcare team.  She is the lead author of the Canadian clinical practice guidelines for managing breast cancer-related lymphedema and lead author/co-author of three articles in the American Cancer Society’s supplement: A Prospective Surveillance Model for Rehabilitation for Women with Breast Cancer.  With over 170 peer-reviewed publications, many in leading Canadian and American medical journals, her research has enhanced the quality of life for women living with breast cancer. 

Guanrong “Garry” Cai, Ms

Guanrong (Garry) Cai is a Ph.D. student and project manager of the Golf Recreational Exercise to Enhance Survivorship (GREENS) study, which is part of the Institute of Therapeutic Golf Science led by Dr. George Salem at the University of Southern California. As a lifelong golfer and former collegiate player, Garry has been fascinated with the health benefits associated with golf and physical activities. That fascination has led him to pursue graduate studies in Biokinesiology at USC, where he has examined golf play's physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects and the biomechanics of physical tasks within golf in older adults. This work has been presented at numerous national and international academic conferences, such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB). During his master’s degree at USC, Garry also worked on an NIH-funded study examing the use of acupressure for cancer-related fatigue in Chinese immigrant cancer survivors, where he developed an understanding of the need for physical activity literacy in this population. His current research focuses on bringing golf as a multimodal activity program to cancer survivors to boost physical activity engagement and promote associated health benefits.