Darlene A. Kluka holds two doctoral degrees, one in motor learning from Texas Woman’s University, USA, the other in sport management from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, after earning bachelor and master degrees from Illinois State University, USA. After several years at the high school level, she invested substantive years at Grambling State University and Barry University, where she retired as Dean of the School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences. Kluka now is a Research Associate at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

As a human performance educator and researcher, Kluka coached high school and university level volleyball, gymnastics, and softball in Illinois, taught undergraduate kinesiology and sport studies in South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. She was Director of graduate programs at the University of Central Oklahoma, Director of the International Academy for Women’s Leadership at Kennesaw State University, and Director of undergraduate and graduate sport management programs at Barry University.

Kluka was selected as Head of Delegation to the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece, and served as Deputy Delegate to the United States Olympic Committee. She has served as Vice President of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE), a member of the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) Board of Directors, a charter member of USA Volleyball Sports Medicine and Performance Commission (SMPC), and as inaugural Director of the ICHPERSD Commission on Women and Sport. She served on the Advisory Board of the Women’s Sports Foundation, as a member of USA Volleyball Sports Medicine and Performance Commission, Vice President of USA Volleyball, President of the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS of AAHPERD), and President of the International Association of Physical Education and Sport (IAPESGW). Her glocal service continued as a member of the Louisiana Advocacy Committee of the American Heart Association, and the Louisiana Governor’s Council  on Physical Fitness and Sport.

Kluka has been presented with the prestigious ICSSPE Philip Noel Baker Research Award, International Academy of Sports Vision (IASV) Joe Andera Research Award, International Council of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance (ICHPERSD) Distinguished Scholar in Sport and Olympic Movement Award, Leader in Volleyball Award (USAV), and has been inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches (AVCA) Hall of Fame, National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, now SHAPE) Hall of Fame, Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) Hall of Fame in the Master Professor category, and Illinois State University College of Applied Science and Technology (CAST) Hall of Fame. She has also been selected as Southern District AAHPERD Scholar and Louisiana State AHPERD Scholar. Two of her most precious selections were as Distinguished Alumna of Texas Woman’s University and Barry University’s Visionary Excellence Award for her leadership.