Lori A Sherlock, MS, EdD

I am responsible for the courses and training in Aquatic Therapy. I also organize the Exercise Physiology Club.

Professor

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Human Performance - Exercise Physiology

Classification:

Faculty

• BS, Exercise Physiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 2000
• MS, West Virginia University, 2002
• EdD, West Virginia University, 2014

Sherlock LA, Leary B, Naylor O, Ryan E, Leary M. Comparing an aquatic and land reduced exertion high intensity interval training in young, sedentary adults. Int J Res Ex Phys. 19(1):19-31, 2023.

Sherlock L, Rice M, Leary M. A scoping review of arthritis foundation exercise programming. Actividad Aquatico. 8(14), 2024.

Sherlock L, Ryan E, Leary M. Examining exercise habits and stress management strategies among incoming STEM freshmen. Educational Practices in Kinesiology. 4(1):5, 2024.

Leary M, Wei F, Layne A, Nardella E, Sherlock L, Ryan E, Thomas J, Leary B, Maynor M. Freshman cohort scheduling improves social integration and perceptions of faculty. Adv Physiol Educ 48: 603–608, 2024.

Ryan, E. J., Sherlock, L., Ryan, E., & Leary, M. Qualitative assessment of the views of academic honesty among freshmen in a physiology-based program. Advances in Physiology Education, 49(2), 291-296 (2025).

Leary MP, Thomas JM, Hayes RA, Sherlock LA. Evaluation of an occupational exercise training program for firefighter: mixed methods pilot study. JMIR Formative Research. 2020; 4(9):e17835. DOI:10.2196/17835

Leary MP and Sherlock LA. Service-Learning or Internship: a mixed-methods evaluation of experiential learning pedagogies. Education Research International. Volume 2020, Article ID 1683270, 9 pages, 2020. DOI:10.1155/2020/1683270.

Hayes RA, Sherlock LA, Leary MP. The role of experiential learning on self-efficacy of undergraduate exercise physiology students: a pilot study. International Journal of Research in Exercise Physiology. 2020; 15(2): 1-13.

Leary M, Leary B, Sherlock L. Evaluating 5% Healthier: an e-service learning teleexercise program for undergraduate and graduate students in exercise physiology. Education Research International. 2022. DOI:10.1155/2022/2889945

Pistilli, E. E., Leary, M. P., Donley, D. A., Olfert, M. M., Ryan, E. J., Sherlock, L. A., Cottrell, S. A., Hendrick, J., & Bryner, R. W. Undergraduate education and training in exercise physiology as preparation for medical school. American Physiological Society (APS) (In Review).

West Virginia University Nick Evans Faculty Advising Excellence Award Nomination

Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC) Associate Faculty Member Recognition

Faculty Evaluation Metric of "Excellent" across Teaching, Research, and Service (Consistently 2020–2023)

Funding CDC State Contract 2023–2026. Awarded $14,177 for Arthritis Foundation Program Leader training expansion.

Engage WVU Giving Circle Grant 2025–2026. Awarded $5,000 for student-run operational clinical facilities and community health expansion.

Teaching

EXPH 450 Theory of Aquatic Therapy

EXPH 451 Application of Aquatic Therapy

EXPH 452 Aquatic Therapy Facility Management

EXPH 491 Professional Field Placement (Undergraduate)

EXPH 496 Senior Thesis

EXPH 672 Professional Field Placement (Graduate)

ATTR 530 Therapeutic Interventions I (Guest Lecturer)

OTH 417 Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics (Guest Lecturer)

EXPH 101/191 Introduction to Exercise Physiology / Seminar (Guest Lecturer)

Professional Rescuer CPR/AED & First Aid Certification Courses

Biography

Dr. Lori A. Sherlock is Professor in the Division of Exercise Physiology within the West Virginia University School of Medicine. She serves as a faculty leader for the undergraduate Exercise Physiology program, where she is the Program Coordinator and sole developer of the nation's only undergraduate Aquatic Therapy Emphasis. She also functions as the Program Coordinator and Site Supervisor for EXPH 491: Professional Field Placement, managing expansive experiential learning frameworks across multiple regional and virtual internship clinical sites.

Her teaching and administrative work centers on preparing students for careers in health professions. Dr. Sherlock has led numerous curricular innovations, balancing rigorous foundational science with hands-on clinical operations. In response to a loss of traditional off-campus clinical rotation sites, she engineered, launched, and managed a free, student-run community clinical operation at the WVU Student Recreation Center, creating a tiered learning ecosystem where senior clinical interns mentor novice students. She also embeds national and international professional certifications directly into the undergraduate curriculum, establishing immediate marketability for graduating students.

Dr. Sherlock's educational scholarship focuses on student success, experiential learning, service-learning structures, and peer-tiered mentorship frameworks that bridge academic theory with direct community health interventions. She systematically guides undergraduate students through the process of writing, editing, and publishing within trade publications and presenting at international conferences.

In addition to her departmental leadership, Dr. Sherlock serves in numerous university and professional service roles. She serves on the Teaching and Course Overview Committee (TACO), where she promotes and disseminates best practice teaching methods and tools to her peers. She is heavily involved in global and national service to the profession, serving on the International Editorial Board for AKWA Magazine, as Chair of the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) Research Committee, and as Chair of the Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Development Committee.

Dr. Sherlock's scholarly work spans both educational research and applied exercise science. Her publications include studies examining aquatic reduced exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT), evidence-based physical intervention programs for arthritis, exercise habits and stress management among incoming STEM freshmen, and evaluations of experiential learning pedagogies.

Education

Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

M.S., Exercise Physiology West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

B.S., Exercise Physiology (Aquatic Therapy Emphasis; Minor in Communication Studies; Certificate in Gerontology) West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) National Strength and Conditioning Association

Aquatic Therapy & Rehabilitation Institute Certified (ATRIC) Aquatic Therapy & Rehabilitation Institute

Exercise Physiology

Dr. Sherlock's research program spans both clinical exercise physiology and higher education pedagogy. Her work seeks to evaluate health outcomes derived from targeted aquatic protocols while investigating the efficacy of experiential learning paradigms, service-learning structures, and STEM retention models. Her primary area of scholarship focuses on undergraduate education and student success through peer-tiered mentoring frameworks and high-impact professionalization. Through collaborations across the university, Dr. Sherlock studies clinical operational models like the student-run aquatic therapy clinic to bridge academic theory with direct community health interventions. Her physiological research focus includes cardiorespiratory fitness, aquatic reduced exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT), and evidence-based physical activity programming for clinical and arthritic populations.

Experiential and Service-Learning Pedagogies

Tiered Peer Mentoring and Student-Run Clinic Operational Structures

Professional Identity Formation and National Board Certification Integration

Undergraduate Technical Publishing and Scholarly Coaching

Aquatic Reduced Exertion High-Intensity Interval Training (REHIT)

Clinical Aquatic Rehabilitation Protocols and Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Evidence-Based Arthritis Physical Intervention Accessibility