Dr. Hayley Russell joined the Human Kinetics Department at St. Francis Xavier University in January 2025. She is a proud StFX alum, having earned her B.A. in Human Kinetics here in 2007 before completing her M.Sc. in Kinesiology at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2010 and her Ph.D. in Kinesiology with a focus on sport and exercise psychology at the University of Minnesota in 2014.

Before returning home to Nova Scotia, Hayley spent ten years as a faculty member at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. Her research explores the psychology of sport injury and the psychological aspects of long-distance running, including the relationship between GI distress and anxiety, as well as how platforms like Strava influence runners’ motivation, self-perceptions, performance, and well-being.

At StFX, Hayley teaches courses on exercise psychology, mental health in sport and exercise, and the psychology of injury. Originally from Pictou, NS, she enjoys running and hiking, as well as reading, crocheting, and doing jigsaw puzzles and spending time with her husband, their dog Duke, and their cat Cleo.