Rate My Professor Shaun Edmonds

Dr. Shaun Edmonds serves as Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Augustana College, having joined the Kinesiology Program in 2019 and receiving promotion to associate professor with tenure in 2025. His comprehensive academic background encompasses an A.S. in Exercise Physiology and Personal Training from Parkland College, a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an M.A. in Human Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State University, and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland-College Park. Edmonds' scholarly pursuits focus on the sociocultural dimensions of physical health and wellness, particularly for LGBT populations. He actively works to bridge the gap between academic research and practitioners in the strength and conditioning field, often employing ethnographic methods to explore fitness subcultures.

Edmonds has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters that have collectively earned 159 citations. Key publications include "Bearing Bodies: Physical Activity, Obesity Stigma, and Sexuality in the Bear Community" (Sociology of Sport Journal, 2015), "Geographies of (Cross)Fitness: An Ethnographic Case Study of a CrossFit Box" (Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 2020), "Bodily Capital and the Strength and Conditioning Professional" (Strength & Conditioning Journal, 2018), "Living out Loud: An Introduction to LGBTQ History, Society, and Culture" (Routledge, 2018), "Negotiating the Funhouse: CrossFit Women and the Looking Glass Athlete" (Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 2021), "‘They Do Not Represent Our Gym’: How CrossFit Affiliates Define Community as They Respond to Racial Controversy" (Sociology of Sport Journal, 2022), "Is Injury ‘On Brand’? Examining the Contexts of the CrossFit Injury Connection" (The Palgrave Handbook of Sport, Politics and Harm, 2022), and his book "Make America Fit Again: CrossFit’s Articulation with Authoritarian Populism" (Springer Nature, 2023), which includes chapters on CrossFit and survivalism, populism, healthist discourse, and military entanglements. Beyond research, he contributes to institutional service on Augustana College committees through 2027 and as a faculty mentor for student-athletes.