Dr.  (Kat) Ellis has been an associate professor for the department of Kinesiology since the Fall of 2009 and serves as a mentor and role model for all APE minors. She received dual PHD from Michigan State University in both Adapted Physical Education and Deaf Education. She also worked as and Adapted PE specialist at the University of Rhode Island for 7 years and has received many awards for her excellence in diversity. As an Associate professor Dr. Ellis coordinates many of the programs within the Adapted Minor. She especially is responsible for creating the Monday Evening Adapted Physical Activity Lifetime Fitness Program which was created for young adults with disabilities who are transitioning from the school to community environment.

Dr. Ellis brings a wide variety of unique skills to the Adapted Physical Education minor, as a member of the Deaf Community, Dr. Ellis has decided to share those important skills by bringing American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language option teaching four different levels of ASL. In addition she hopes to develop a deaf studies program as well as establish the first College of Health Science ASL proficiency lab in the near future.