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SHRS Faculty Lead Pitt Students in Special Olympics Event 

  • Published: 05/30/2025
  • Revised: 05/30/2025
 Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
A woman in a red shirt with long black hair smiles at a man with a disability sitting in a chair wearing a gray shirt and ball cap
Thirty-six Pitt student volunteers worked with Special Olympics athletes to begin collecting longitudinal data about how the program impacts their physical, social-emotional and mental health.

Students and faculty from across Pitt teamed up with Special Olympics Pennsylvania on Saturday, May 17, to make a difference!  

Kevin Conley, chair and associate professor of the Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition and associate dean for undergraduate studies at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS), spearheaded the daylong event that partnered Pitt faculty and students with Special Olympics athletes to conduct a longitudinal evaluation of the impact sports participation has on athletes’ physical, social-emotional and mental health.   

A man in a black shirt sits in a chair and smiles down at a person doing an exercise on a gym mat on the floor.
Kevin Conley, chair of the Sports Medicine and Nutrition Department, encourages a Special Olympics athlete during the Project ALL STAR event.

Known as Project ALL STAR (Active Life and Longevity: Special Olympics Transforming Athlete Results), the event brings together athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in surveys, focus groups and fitness assessments that will measure their physical, socioemotional and mental health over several years.

The results from the project will help improve Special Olympics programming, making a difference in the lives of athletes and their families. 

Four people sit on a gym floor celebrating the completion of an exercise
Two women in red shirts watch as a large man in a gray shirt prepares to leap forward on a gym floor
Pitt student volunteers work with Special Olympics athletes as they complete data collection exercises during Project ALL STAR.

For the recent data collection event at the Box on the SouthSide, Conley recruited 36 student volunteers from the School of Public Health, the Department of Health and Human Development in the School of Education, the School of Medicine and SHRS, including these programs: 

  • Communication Science 
  • Doctor of Occupational Therapy 
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy 
  • Emergency Medicine 
  • Health Informatics 
  • Nutrition Science 
  • Prosthetics and Orthotics 
  • Rehabilitation Science 
A man in a black shirt with his back turned give a high five to a young woman in a grey shirt
Two women in red shirts and a clipboard record data from a large man in a gray shirt stretching his arm behind his back.
At left, Kevin Conley, chair of the Sports Medicine and Nutrition Department, gives a high five to a Special Olympics athlete during the Project ALL STAR event. At right, Pitt student volunteers record data from a Special Olympics athlete during Project ALL STAR.

“I’m very proud of the students who volunteered for this project,” said Conley, who has volunteered with Special Olympics Pennsylvania for over 25 years. “They represent undergraduate and graduate students from across three of our health sciences schools. This was a chance for them to experience the pure joy that lives in the hearts of the Special Olympics athletes and the tremendous satisfaction you get from helping this amazing group of people. I’m hopeful this is a springboard for them to stay connected with Special Olympics and continue to volunteer. It’s a great way for all of us in SHRS to help live out our values and fulfill our vision and mission as a school.” 

Participation in Project ALL STAR provided a valuable learning opportunity for students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to interact with or learn about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Another goal of the project is to raise awareness about the need for more practitioners who are trained to provide health care services for this special population. 

A woman with medium length dark hair smiles and talks to a man wearing gym clothes while a woman in a red shirt looks on
At right is Kara Kobal, associate professor and director of the Pitt Doctor of Physical Therapy on-campus option, talking with a Special Olympics athlete during Project ALL STAR.

Kara Kobal, associate professor and director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy on-campus option, is an active volunteer with Special Olympics and also participated in the Project ALL STAR event. She said, “I am proud that the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences was selected as a host site for this important and groundbreaking research initiative. Individuals with intellectual disabilities remain an underserved population within our health care systems.”

“This project not only aims to advance understanding and promote better health outcomes for this community, but also offers valuable experiential learning opportunities for our students to engage in inclusive, impactful care.” 

– Kara Kobal

Read more about the Project ALL STAR event in Pitt Health Sciences news: Data Collection and New Connections: Health Sciences Students Collaborate with Special Olympics Pennsylvania | Health Sciences | University of Pittsburgh 

Written by:
Health Sciences and MCRE; photography by Rayni Shiring/University of Pittsburgh
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Man with very short brown hair wearing a black suit jacket over a light blue collared shirt and a black and light blue striped tie.

Kevin Conley
Woman with short brown hair wearing a tan blazer over a light pink top and a gold necklace.

Kara Kobal