By Talia Tesler ’14, Athletic Communications Intern
A strong work ethic and great time management are two skills that have stayed with former State University of New York at New Paltz women’s volleyball standout Katie Becofsky ‘08, as she has made her way further into her career.
Becofsky chose to attend New Paltz because she loved everything the town and the campus had to offer.
“My classes were small so I was able to get to know all of my professors which was really important to me,” Becofsky explained. “I also made close relationships with the other athletes at the school because we lived in the same wing of Gage Hall.”
It was at New Paltz that Becofsky’s obsession with sports grew. During the fall semester of her senior year, she took on an internship in sports information office.
“I worked closely with the Sports Information Director, doing write-ups and uploading team photos. After a while, I recognized every athlete because I had seen so many photos of them!”
Becofsky graduated from New Paltz and then moved south to North Carolina to pursue a master’s degree in sports exercise science at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. “I was there for two years thinking that I wanted to pursue coaching but eventually got sucked into the academic world.”
After coaching and playing some volleyball, Becofsky then moved to Colombia, South Carolina where she graduated with her PhD in exercise science from the University of South Carolina in August of 2014.
A normal day at South Carolina involved writing and conducting research that focused on how exercise affects the brain and cognitive function. While working on her dissertation, Becofsky was able to teach her own class in Psychology of Physical Activity.
In September 2014, Becofsky returned to the Northeast and started working at Ivy League institution Brown University’s medical school in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior as a postdoctoral research fellow in cardiovascular behavioral medicine.
“My major research interests are exercise motivation and adherence, as well as the cognitive and mental health benefits of exercise,” Becofsky explained.
When looking back at her collegiate volleyball experience, Becofsky’s sophomore year stood out to her as being very important. “One of my best memories was from that season and the first time we had ever beaten Cortland; it was a five-set match. The program has taken off since then and they have done some great things but at the time that was a huge deal.”
Becofsky compares her learning experiences from New Paltz to those she has today. “New Paltz puts a big emphasis on teaching, which I have learned to really appreciate, where as bigger schools really emphasize research.”
The tight-knit environment at New Paltz helped her grow not only as an athlete but as a student as well. Becofsky still keeps in touch with current women’s volleyball head coach Matt Giufre after building a great relationship with him.
“All of those things that seem so cliché - work ethic, time management, leadership skills and team work - really do continue on with you and are important traits that help you grow in your career.”
