Dimitrio Martinez
Dimitrio Martinez is a visiting assistant professor in the department of Health, Exercise, and Sport Studies (HESS). He is deeply committed to Denison’s mission of transformative liberal arts education–serving, educating, and inspiring every student he encounters. As a HESS faculty member, he collaborates with colleagues to foster an integrated, rigorous curriculum that prepares students for impactful lives and careers in health, exercise, and/or sport.
Dr. Martinez’s teaching and research has focused on aspects related to health and human performance. His research in motor learning — particularly the effects of contextual interference, feedback, and attentional focus on skill acquisition in athletes — has led to meaningful collaborations with faculty, athletic staff, and students, enriching both scholarship and mentoring opportunities.
Martinez is passionate about curricular innovation and undergraduate success, working closely with students and faculty to develop initiatives that enhance health and well-being. His service extends beyond the classroom through community-engaged projects, including grant-funded work to reduce health disparities and develop physical activity programs for underserved populations.
Prior to joining Denison, Martinez earned recognition as Student-Athlete of the Year and ITA Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award recipient at Texas Tech University, where he also served as Tennis Team Captain. His advanced training in kinesiology at Texas Tech and Florida International University has provided him with a strong foundation in the physiological, psychological, and behavioral aspects of exercise.
Dr. Martinez is committed to advancing the HESS department’s scholarly and curricular growth, and to creating a transformative undergraduate student experience through exemplary teaching, mentorship, and research collaboration.
Originally hailing from Saltillo, Mexico, Dr. Martinez and his wife, Sofia, are devoted to their family and are the parents of Dimi, Mariana, and Sarah.
Learning & Teaching
- INTD 100: Community Health Coach Seminar (Fall 2023, Fall 2024)
- INTD 101: Community Health Coach Practicum (Spring 2024, Spring 2025)
- HESS 201: Fundamentals of Health and Exercise (Spring 2021, Spring 2025, Fall 2025)
- HESS 202: Applied Anatomy (Fall 2019 – Spring 2023; Fall 2025)
- HESS 300: Personal and Community Health (Fall 2021, Spring 2022)
- HESS 301: Psychology of Sport (Spring 2020, Fall 2021)
- HESS 326: Lifetime Motor Development (Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2023, Fall 2024)
- HESS 362: Directed Study (Spring 2023, Fall 2023)
- HESS 364: Independent Study (Fall 2024)
- HESS 426: Motor Learning and Control (Fall 2019, Fall 2020, Spring 2025)
- Visiting Assistant Professor
Research
With a particular emphasis on how cognitive strategies shape movement outcomes, I have systematically investigated the distinct effects of internal, external, and holistic attentional cues across a range of contexts and populations—from novice participants to elite collegiate athletes. Expertise and research interests include:
Attentional focus strategies: Examining how the manner and content of focus cues (internal, external, holistic) influence skill refinement, performance efficiency, and learning in both simple and complex sport environments.
Holistic attentional focus: Pioneering work in the development and evaluation of holistic cues that integrate alternative movement rhythm cues to support optimal performance—an area gaining new recognition in the motor learning literature.
Sport-specific applications: Partnering with colleagues and alumni, my latest manuscript in preparation investigates cue effectiveness during collegiate breaststroke swimming. Preliminary findings reinforce the importance of matching attentional strategies not only to the performer’s expertise, but to the specific demands of the task and sport.
Applied student and student-athlete engagement: Recognizing the immense intellectual and personal value brought about by Denison students as research collaborators and participants, my work aims to translate scientific findings into practical coaching recommendations and educational experiences tailored for emerging practitioners in health and movement sciences.
Works
REFEREED CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS
- Martinez, D., Arnold, A. Bova, H., Gaguzis, S. & St. John, J. (June 2023). Manipulations in contextual interference failed to impact tennis serve performance in experienced players. players. Poster presented at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity Conference, Toronto, Ontario, CA.
- Martinez, D., Hart, M., & Hamman, D. (June 2020). The effects of attentional focus on a sport-specific skill and efficacy beliefs. Poster presented at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity Virtual Conference.
JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
- Martinez, D., Arnold, A. Bova, H., Gaguzis, S. & St. John, J. (June 2023). Manipulations in contextual interference failed to impact tennis serve performance in experienced players. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, JSEP supplement.
- Martinez, D., Hart, M., & Hamman, D. (June 2020). The effects of attentional focus on a sport-specific skill and efficacy beliefs. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology (JSEP), Volume 42. MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION Martinez, D. Bova, H., Rusch, L., Keller., Zeidan, A. (in prep). Comparing exercise modalities for fall risk and efficacy in older adults. St. John, J., Balbo, M., Picozzi, L., Martinez, D., & Arnold, A. J. (in prep). Examining focus of attention in collegiate-level breaststrokers.
REFEREED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS (Full-length Papers)
- Matteson, S., & Martinez, D. (February 2019). Investigating the teaching of thinking skills by Colleges of Education. Manuscript presented at the 42nd Annual Southwestern Educational Research Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Service
- Community Health Coach Instructor of Record. Denison University and Licking Memorial Hospital. (2023 – 2025).
- Journal Reviewer, International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences. (2021– Present).
- North American Society for Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. (June 2020 – Present).
- Society of Health and Physical Educators. (January 2020 – Present).
- American College of Sports Medicine, (June 2021 – Present).
Other
- DURF contingency funding, $2000. Office of the Provost. Denison University. (2023).
- East Lubbock Promise Neighborhood Grant. Supported Texas Tech University in securing a United States Department of Education grant for $25,000,000 aimed at reducing health and educational disparities among disadvantaged neighborhoods. (2014).
- The Four-Pillared Professional Award. Denison University Department of Athletics. (2021 – 2022).
- Faculty member representative of top 50 scholar-athletes. 10th and 11th annual James T. Glerum Scholar-Athlete. Denison University. (2024 and 2025).
- 2025 Summer Scholar Mentorship. Students: Jessica Zittel & Jason Chen. Topic: Discrepancies in Cancer Treatment Availability: Exploring Regional and Population-Based Inequities Across the State of Ohio.