Dr. Yong Gao joined the faculty of the Department of Kinesiology at Boise State University in 2008, after earning a Ph.D. in Measurement & Evaluation, Department of Kinesiology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She also holds an M.Ed. in Health and Exercise Science from Shanghai Institute of Physical Education, and a Diploma in Medicine from the Medical College of Wuhan University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China.
Dr. Gao's research includes: (1) the evaluation of measurement issues in health and physical activity research, (2) the evaluation of existing tools and instruments using advanced measurement methods, and (3) the development of new, more culturally sensitive and accurate measures and methodologies to assess physical activity and health outcomes among minority groups. In addition to publishing, and presenting her findings, Dr. Gao has served on an expert panel for the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity at the Center for Disease Control (March, 2011), as Member-at-large of the Executive Committee for the International Chinese Society for Physical Activities and Health (ICSPAH), and in various capacities for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.