Dean and Professor, RIT College of Health Sciences and Technology

Dr. Yong “Tai” Wang is the new Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Technology at RIT. He started in this position on January 1, 2021.

Prior to RIT, Dr. Wang was the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Endowed Chair Professor of Lee Roy and Lucy Mathis at The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) from July, 2014 to December, 2020.

Prior to UT Tyler, Dr. Wang served as Professor and Assistant Dean (July, 2011 – June 2014) in the Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions at Georgia State University (GSU). He served as a faculty member in the Department of Physical Therapy at GSU from August, 1998 to June, 2014.

Dr. Wang was awarded his BS and MS in Exercise Science from Wuhan Sport University, China. He received his second master’s degrees in Biomechanics (Major) and Computer Science (Minor) from Ball State University at Muncie, Indiana, and his Ph.D. in Rehabilitative Biomechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.

Dr. Wang is a Fellow of American College of Sports Medicine, and a Fellow of Research Consortium, Society of Health and Physical Educators, America. He served as the Chair (2004-2007) of Sports Biomechanics in International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sports, and Dance, and served as the Chair (1996-1998) of International Relations Council in American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Dr. Wang’s research interests focus on biomechanics of rehabilitation, specifically on wheelchair locomotion and rehabilitation for individuals with spinal cord injury, and Tai Chi and Wheelchair Tai Chi for individuals with spinal cord injury and disability. As a PI he has secured approximately one million dollars in external, mainly federal funding to support his research work. Dr. Wang’s research projects have been funded by National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, Paralyzed Veterans of America, American Association of Retired Persons, Georgia Research Alliance and other private foundations. His Tai Chi Ball product received a US patent through UT Tyler in September, 2020. Dr. Wang has had more than 60 full-length refereed journal publications, more than 90 proceedings and abstracts published in refereed journals and more than 100 presentations at national/international scientific conferences as a speaker or keynote speaker