Welcome to the 2018 Department of Kinesiology Spring newsletter. We’re had many exciting changes, events, and accomplishments that have occurred over the past year. In the following pages, we’ve highlighted several of the more notable ones.
We have extraordinary faculty committed to providing over 650 undergraduate and 40+ graduate students with an excellent educational experience. Cutting edge research from our faculty continues to explore the physiological and behavioral bases of physical activity on health outcomes. Our faculty and students are creative and industrious as they successfully work together to achieve this goal.
Just a few of weeks ago, we celebrated with 28 outstanding undergraduate and graduate students at our annual scholarship banquet. This was our largest banquet ever with over 100 students, parents, faculty, and guests in attendance. We were able to award a record number of scholarships! You’ll also read about a new endowed departmental scholarship (Department of Kinesiology – Ice Family Scholarship) that we were able to establish thanks to the support from Mary and Carl Ice and several faculty members.
We initiated a new Distinguished Lecture Series this year that brings prominent national and international speakers to campus. Last Fall, Dr. Steven Blair presented “Physical Inactivity: The Biggest Public Health Crisis of the 21st Century”, and Dr. John Halliwill presented “Recovery From Exercise: Vulnerable State, Window of Opportunity, or Crystal Ball?” this Spring. You’ll also find an article on a new program our department started called Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIM-OC), an initiative started by American College of Sports Medicine calling upon universities to engage in the promotion of physical activity as a vital sign of health.
We also have great new additions to our faculty this year. Dr. Gina Besenyi is a new behavioral scientist faculty member who joined the department last summer as an Assistant Professor. Becky Gilmore joined the department last summer as our New Student Service Coordinator and Academic Advisor. You can read more about them in the pages that follow. We’ve also had many faculty and students recognized this year for their accomplishments which we’ve highlighted in the following pages. Of particular note in this list is Dr. David Poole being recognized as a University Distinguished Professor, the highest honor bestowed on a faculty member at Kansas State University.
I’m also pleased that our Kinesiology Advisory Board met again this past Fall and Spring. This is an outstanding group to work with and I’m excited about how they can contribute to the mission and vision of our department. An update from Jarrod Nichols, who serves as president, is included.
We’re always glad to welcome alumni back and encourage you to stop by if you’re in the area. We’ve made significant changes to our web site that you should visit, including a number of videos, that provides a more comprehensive look at the department (http://www.k-state.edu/kines/).
Thanks for all you do for K-State Kinesiology!
Dr. Craig Harms
Department Head
