

Melissa Gross, PhD
- Arthur F. Thurnau Professor
- Associate Professor, Movement Science
- Director, Behavioral Biomechanics Laboratory
- Graduate Faculty, Movement Science
- Associate Professor, Stamps School of Art & Design
About
Dr. Melissa Gross has been on the faculty at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology since 1991, and is currently an associate professor of Movement Science and director of the Behavioral Biomechanics Laboratory. Dr. Gross also holds an appointment as an associate professor in the Stamps School of Art and Design. She completed her PhD in Kinesiology (Biomechanics) at the University of California Los Angeles.
Dr. Gross has published more than 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Biomechanics and Journal of Applied Biomechanics. She has served two terms on the editorial board for the Journal of Applied Biomechanics, and she is a manuscript reviewer for Anatomical Sciences Education, Clinical Biomechanics, and Gait and Posture. Melissa is also a fellow and past president of the American Society of Biomechanics. She has received more than $1.5 million in grant funding from organizations such as the National Institute of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development. She served as the Associate Dean for Research in the School of Kinesiology from 2006-2010.
In 2014 Dr. Gross received the Arthur F. Thurnau Professorship, which "recognizes and rewards faculty for outstanding contributions to undergraduate education." She has been a member on several university committees focused on academic innovation and digital education, and was director of Innovative Teaching and Learning for the School of Kinesiology from 2013-2019. She is currently serving on the Executive Committee for the Michigan Center for Interprofessional Education at the University of Michigan (IPE video). She also served as the faculty director of the University of Michigan Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program from 2019-2024.
Dr. Gross teaches Movement Science courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, including MOVESCI 434: Scientific Inquiry with Motion Capture, MOVESCI 110: Biological and Behavioral Bases of Human Movement and MOVESCI 313: The Art of Anatomy.
Areas of Interest
Behavioral biomechanics; musculoskeletal biomechanics; active learning.
Contact
Address
830 North University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048
United States
Classes
Course | Course Title | Credits | Term |
---|---|---|---|
KINESLGY 302 | Kines Study Abroad | 3 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter |
KINESLGY 439 | Lab Biomechanic | 1 - 3 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter |
KINESLGY 685 | Res Rotation in Kin | 3 - 6 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter |
MOVESCI 110 | Bio&Beh Bases Hu Mvt | 3 | Fall, Winter |
MOVESCI 230 | Hum Musculo Anat | 3 | Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer |
MOVESCI 434 | Sci Inquiry Mocap | 3 | As Arranged, Winter, Fall |
MOVESCI 437 | MotnCap Anim Biomech | 3 | Fall, Winter, As Arranged |
MOVESCI 439 | Lab Biomechanic | 1 - 3 | Fall, Spring, Summer, Winter |
MOVESCI 513 | Experimental Course | 3 | As Arranged, Winter, Fall |
MOVESCI 639 | Lab Biomech | 1 - 3 | As Arranged, Fall, Winter |