Dr. Brandon Brockshus
Where did you grow up and what activities were you involved in?
I grew up on a dairy farm in northwest Iowa. In high school, I was involved in cross country, track, FFA, 4-H, drama, band, marching band, jazz band, choir, show choir, jazz choir, and art. I play trombone, and I served as our marching band’s drum major for two years. I was a district officer in FFA. In high school drama, I played Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Cowardly Lion in Wizard of Oz, and Masked Desperado in Twin Desparados: Or When Bullets Kiss.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
In kindergarten, I wanted to be a police man or a clown. Later on, I thought I might be a physician. Now I’m glad to say I teach and research kinesiology and stage combat.
Where did you attend undergrad and what did you major in?
I attended Iowa State University for chemistry for a year, then Iowa Lakes Community College for EMT training. I returned to ISU and finished a degree in performing arts with emphasis in acting/directing.
Where did you attend graduate school and your activities during that time?
I attended Iowa State University for a Master of Science degree in kinesiology from 2019 to 2021. I provided fight direction for theatre shows at ISU, other colleges and universities, high schools, and professional companies.
I continued graduate studies at ISU for a PhD in kinesiology. I took a position as adjunct faculty at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny, Iowa, where I taught DRA 127: Stage Combat. At ISU, I served as a research assistant on the Study of Parkinson’s and Exercise phase 3 clinical trial (SPARX3), I served as a teaching assistant in KIN 372: Motor Control and Learning across the Lifespan, and I mentored undergraduate students in the Alternative Medicine and Music for Parkinson’s Disease (AMMPD) Lab.
What brought you to Louisiana Tech?
LaTech has a long history of excellent stage combat teaching in the theatre department, and exciting work is being done in the kinesiology department. I hope to contribute to the research and teaching in kinesiology by collaborating with the theatre department to study stage combat and its associated motor skills.
What classes will you teach at Tech?
KINE 333: Motor Learning
KINE 520: Motor Development and Learning
other courses to be determined
What are your research interests?
I am interested in the neuromotor and cognitive processes that support motor learning, particularly in the context of stage combat. I have worked on spatial processing, working memory, target interception, and social-emotional imagination, which includes theory of mind, empathy, and emotion regulation.
What organizations are you affiliated with?
Society of American Fight Directors
Society for Neuroscience
American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
International Society of Motor Control
American Psychological Association: Division 10 Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts
Tell us about your family.
I met my wife, Samantha performing a play at Iowa State University. We have two children, Charlotte (age 9) and Oliver (age 7). My father went to school for agriculture education and is now the CEO/manager of the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa. My mother went to school for art education and now teaches grade 9 art in Johnston, Iowa. I have three younger brothers who all have their own children and careers. Charlotte and Oliver are very happy to have lots of cousins!
What do you like to do in your spare time to unwind?
I like to read science fiction, philosophy, and epic poetry. I also enjoy playing video games (especially with my kids) and outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, and sitting around a campfire.
What is your favorite quote?
Our doubts are traitors
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt.
– William Shakespeare
The Exponential Factor 