Expertise
Dr. Lawrence W. Judge currently serves as Assistant Dean in the Marieb College of Health & Human Services (MCHHS) at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). In this role, he provides leadership across academic programs, faculty development, student success initiatives, research activities, and strategic partnerships within the College. Prior to joining FGCU, Dr. Judge served for nineteen years at Ball State University, where he most recently held the role of Senior Research Fellow in the Dean’s Office of the College of Health. During his tenure at Ball State, he also served as Interim Chair of the Department of Social Work and as Associate Chair for Undergraduate Programs and Academic Affairs in the School of Kinesiology.
In addition to his administrative appointments, Dr. Judge was the long-standing Coordinator of the Online Graduate Coaching Education Program at Ball State University, where he led program growth, curriculum development, and national visibility in distance education. He was named Faculty of the Year in 2017 and received the university’s Rawlings Outstanding Distance Education Teaching Award in 2020 in recognition of excellence and innovation in online instruction. Dr. Judge is a Fellow of multiple professional organizations, including the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, SHAPE America, and the Association of Applied Sport Management. He is also the founding co-editor of the Journal of Health and Physical Literacy and has served in editorial leadership roles for several peer-reviewed journals in sport science, sport management, and coaching.
Dr. Judge’s scholarship spans a broad portfolio of peer-reviewed research and applied publications that have informed practice, policy, and education in sport and health-related fields. He has led and contributed to numerous funded projects and has mentored graduate students, early-career faculty, and interdisciplinary research teams. His leadership philosophy emphasizes translational scholarship, student-centered excellence, and the integration of research, teaching, and community engagement to advance health and human performance outcomes. He has also provided long-standing service as a Paralympic coach and sport science practitioner, supporting elite athletes through evidence-based training, mentorship, and inclusive high-performance sport initiatives.
Dr. Judge earned his academic training in kinesiology, sport sciences, and higher education–related disciplines and began his professional career as a collegiate track and field coach and strength and conditioning practitioner before transitioning into full-time academia and academic leadership. He has also provided national leadership in coaching education, serving as National Chair for Coaching Education with USA Track & Field and as President of the National Council for the Accreditation of Coaching Education.