College of Education

Dr. Tao Zhang earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Kinesiology from Shanghai University of Sport, and his Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University in 2009. He has been at the University of North Texas (UNT) since that time.  

Dr. Zhang is a tenured Full Professor and serves as the Director of the Pediatric Movement and Physical Activity Laboratory at UNT. As a Kinesiology scholar, Dr. Zhang has made more than 170 research presentations at international, national and state conferences, published about 100 refereed research articles and book chapters, authored about 110 peer-reviewed research abstracts and conference papers, and secured about 20 funded research grant projects from federal agencies and research foundations, including Project HSHL and Project MOVE. His research focuses on supportive physical activity environments, achievement motivation, motor skills, and physical activity and health promotion in underserved children and families from psychological, pedagogical, and behavioral perspectives. Dr. Zhang is currently the Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Fellow of SHAPE America Research Council. 

Dr. Zhang earned the Mabel Lee Award from SHAPE America in 2013, won the Joy of Effort Award from SHAPE America in 2020, and earned the Curriculum and Instruction Honor Award from SHAPE America in 2022. Since 2010, he has already mentored both undergraduate and doctoral students who have received over 25 state, national, and international awards for their research. He earned the Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award from SHAPE America in 2017 and won the Toulouse Scholar Award in 2022 at UNT. Dr. Zhang serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Journal of Teaching, Research, and Media in Kinesiology, Associate Editor for Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, and Editorial Board Members for multiple journals such as International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity and Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal. He has also served on several committees of professional organizations (American College of Sports Medicine, SHAPE America, International Chinese Society for Physical Activities and Health, and American Educational Research Association). Recently, Dr. Zhang was inducted as a Fellow of American Kinesiology Association Leadership Institute.