Each semester, UNCG Assistant Professor Eric Drollette begins his classes with an unexpected question:
It’s more than a conversation starter. For Drollette, the question is a reminder that academic success can grow from many different beginnings. His own childhood on a dairy farm demanded long hours of physical labour, an experience that not only tested his ability to balance schoolwork but also sparked his lifelong curiosity about the link between movement and brain function.
The first in his family to attend college, Drollette has now built a career dedicated to understanding how short bursts of exercise can benefit children’s brains and cognitive performance. His research, conducted in UNCG’s Department of Kinesiology, focuses on turning those insights into practical classroom strategies.
In his most recent study, Drollette and his team asked children ages 9–12 to complete a short series of classroom-friendly exercises – moves such as jumping jacks, high knees, squats, and lunges: performed in 30-second intervals with brief rests.
The results were striking. After only nine minutes of exercise, children scored significantly higher on standardised tests of verbal comprehension than they did after simply sitting and watching an educational video.
The findings, published in Psychology of Sport & Exercise, also revealed changes at the neurological level. EEG measurements showed reduced error-related negativity, a brain response that reflects distraction and over-fixation on mistakes. In other words, children who engaged in short bouts of physical activity were better able to recover from errors and refocus—an ability essential for classroom learning and academic success.
For teachers, the implications are powerful. The research suggests that even a few minutes of movement in the classroom without equipment or disruption, can improve kids’ focus, cognitive performance, and learning outcomes.
Behind the work is a strong team of graduate students, including Praveen Pasupathi and Bryan Montero-Herreras, who contribute to both the design and implementation of the studies. Together, they carry out the work in a spacious laboratory outfitted with both open space for movement and advanced EEG equipment.
Recruiting children for studies is often difficult, but Drollette says UNCG’s connection to the Greensboro community make the process easier. Families who participate often share personal connections to the university, reinforcing the sense of partnership between campus and community.
He also credits UNCG’s Department of Kinesiology for fostering a collaborative and supportive environment that prioritises exercise psychology research and innovative approaches to physical activity and learning.
In addition to his research, Drollette is deeply invested in teaching and mentorship. In 2024, he was recognised with both the Outstanding Teacher Award and the Outstanding Mentor Award from UNCG’s School of Health and Human Sciences.
He finds his greatest joy in celebrating the successes of his students: from undergraduates presenting award-winning research to graduate students completing outstanding dissertations. Having once been a first-generation college student himself, he recognises the self-doubt many of his students carry.
That perspective shapes his mentorship. He encourages students not to see themselves as impostors, but as capable scholars who belong in their academic community. His own journey – from farm work before dawn to faculty leadership at UNCG – reminds them that perseverance, movement, and confidence can shape both the mind and the future. (Source: research.uncg.edu)
