Alumnus publishes book of short stories related to health, life

A new book by a College of Education alumnus explores the intersection of sport, health and life.

Phil Sparling (M.Ed. '76, Ph.D. '79), professor emeritus at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has recently published "The Sneakers in the Closet and Other Essays." It's a collection of 24 short stories, compiled from Sparling's newspaper columns written over the past five years, about life and how to live it better.

"Topics range from play, exercise and fitness to diet, drugs and doctors," said Sparling. "My aim is to inform by sharing stories—including personal reflections on growing up, finding a career and growing older—to show how heroes and role models shape our health and well-being."

Sparling was a professor at Georgia Tech for three decades, where his research interests focused on physical activity and health, energy balance, sex differences in sport and distance running. As a student at UGA, Sparling was one of former kinesiology department head Kirk Cureton's first graduate students. Sparling returned to the UGA campus in 2015 as the featured speaker during the inaugural Distinguished Alumni Lecture celebrating the department of kinesiology's 10th anniversary.