Dr. Donna L. Woolard

Biography

Dr. Donna Woolard, Professor of Exercise Science at Campbell University, has extensive experience as a teacher and coach at the high school and collegiate levels. A native of Washington, North Carolina, Dr. Woolard joined the faculty of Campbell University in 1994.

Under her direction, the Physical Education Teacher Education program at Campbell was cited as “exemplary” by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Recognized as an expert in the professional preparation of physical education teachers, Woolard was personally cited as an “exemplary” teacher educator by NCATE and NCDPI. Dr. Woolard was a consultant for the Educational Testing Service’s Praxis Physical Education Exams for over a decade.

Dr. Woolard was selected as the executive director of the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE) in July of 2023 and has served as the organization’s webmaster and membership manager. She was named a NAKHE Fellow and received the Distinguished Service Award in 2019.

Dr. Woolard is also a member of SHAPE America and the North Carolina SHAPE. She has been an NC SHAPE Executive Board member for over 25 years, serving as President in 2007 and Executive Director from 2011 to 2013. Dr. Woolard has received numerous Alliance awards, including five Presidential Citations, the Service Award, University Teacher of the Year, and the Honor Award.

As chair of Campbell University’s Department of Exercise Science for 13 years, Dr. Woolard was instrumental in the department’s growth from 184 majors to an enrollment to become the largest department in the College of Arts and Sciences, boasting nearly 400 majors. She also added a Sport Coaching Major, a Sport Management Communications Concentration, and pre-professional preparation tracks in Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, and Medicine.