On March 13, 2026, the Kinesiology Undergraduate Advising Office marked a milestone with its first in-person Kinesiology Undergraduate Research Symposium, hosted in the newly opened Gateway Health Building. The event brought together undergraduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni to celebrate the depth and diversity of research within the kinesiology community.
This year’s symposium featured a concise and engaging Three Minute Thesis (3MT) format, where 15 undergraduate presenters each had just three minutes to share their research and its impact. The fast-paced structure challenged students to distill complex ideas into clear, accessible insights—highlighting not only the quality of their work, but also their communication skills.
Presentations spanned a wide range of topics, from biomechanics and exercise physiology to health promotion and rehabilitation sciences. Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to engage with presenters, ask questions, and explore how classroom learning translates into real-world research applications.
For many students, the event represented more than just an academic showcase—it was a chance to share months of work with peers and mentors in a supportive, in-person environment. The energy in the Gateway Health Building reflected that excitement, as conversations continued well beyond each presentation.
Congratulations to the following student presenters:
Abaigeal Kelso
Sydney Cormack
Rojina Nariman
Nardine Estawro
Molly Strain
Yasmeen Jalil
Kyra McKinnon
James Gao
Lauren Poliquin
Harjas Walia
Felix Chong
Erika Laurence
Bailey Perin
Cyanea Zheng
Carson Wong
A special thanks to the Kinesiology Undergraduate Advising office and Jessika Baroi for organizing this event.
On Friday March 27th, we celebrated the incredible contributions and achievements of our many student leaders at the School of Kinesiology’s annual Student Leadership Breakfast. Students were invited to attend based on their involvements across orientations, outreach programs, the Kinesiology Undergraduate Society, PARC, Lab Mentors, KPAC and more. This event recognized the hard work our students put into the student experience and community engagement.
Student Engagement Officer, Emily Speidel hosted the event, featuring an address by the School’s Co-Directors, Dr. Romeo Chua & Dr. Mark Carpenter.
These awards celebrate the exceptional contributions of Kinesiology students throughout the academic year, honouring their commitment to exceeding expectations in their roles. Recognitions are divided into three categories:
Community Engagement Award: Recognizing students who have invested significant time and effort into roles that positively impact the health and well-being of the individuals and communities they serve,
Student Experience Award: Recognizing students who have dedicated themselves to enhancing the holistic undergraduate experience within Kinesiology.
Qwasen Graduating Student Leadership Award: Recognizing graduating student leaders who have shown outstanding dedication and leadership through their roles within the School of Kinesiology or the KUS during their time at UBC.
Congratulations to Dr. Jasmin Ma who has been awarded a large Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) for her proposed project “Implementing a practical curriculum in Kinesiology: Preparing students as kinesiologists and clinical exercise physiologists.”
Project Objectives
The BC Ministry of Health recently recognized Kinesiologists and Clinical Exercise Physiologists (CEPs) as part of the allied health workforce, recommending qualified kinesiology graduates be integrated into healthcare settings, creating new opportunities for UBC Kinesiology students.
A survey of 673 students found that 65% are interested in exercise professional careers (e.g., kinesiologists and CEPs), but many feel unprepared to meet designation requirements upon graduation. Building on a previous TLEF-funded professional pathway, this project aims to implement a practical curriculum that helps students gain hands-on competencies aligned with professional standards and healthcare system needs. The project will also support instructors in effectively delivering this new curriculum.
Anticipated Outcomes
This project will help improve practical opportunities and prerequisites for students pursuing careers as kinesiologists and CEPs. More specifically, it will do this by:
1) Redesigning current and mounting new work-integrated learning and lecture/lab courses, and
2) Providing training to instructors to effectively teach in the practical curriculum.
For a full list of all team members involved in the proposed project visit here. We thank Dr. Jasmin Maand all those involved for their leadership in advancing practical, career-ready training that better prepares UBC Kinesiology students for roles as kinesiologists, clinical exercise physiologists, and beyond!
Graduate students in the School of Kinesiology can now strengthen their teaching skills through the new Kinesiology Teaching Excellence Pathway (KTEP), a flexible professional development program designed to support graduate student educators.
The pathway helps participants build practical teaching skills, deepen their understanding of pedagogy, and gain formal recognition for their efforts. Students who complete Stage 1 and Stage 2 receive Non-Credit Letters of Completion, while those who finish all three stages earn a Non-Credit Program Certificate.
KTEP is intentionally flexible. Graduate students may complete one, two, or all three stages depending on their goals and timelines, though stages must be completed sequentially. Each stage typically takes one to two years, meaning the full pathway generally spans three to five years.
The program is optional and separate from the three hours of mandatory teaching assistant training required for each TA contract. However, teaching development sessions completed through UBC programs—such as the Kinesiology TA Training Program, the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, and the Learning Design and Digital Innovation unit—may count toward pathway requirements.
To participate, students must be registered graduate students in the School of Kinesiology and in good academic standing while completing the program.
Graduate students interested in joining can begin by registering for Stage 1. After completing it, participants will be invited to register for Stage 2.
Congratulations to Viviana Shiffman, a PHD Student who has received UBC’s Green Lab Funding for her project, Nitrile Neutral. The UBC Green Labs Fund is awarded to labs across UBC campuses in Vancouver and Okanagan that propose innovative and achievable projects to enhance sustainability in their lab environments. Viviana’s project, Nitrile Neutral, was one of eight projects that was recognized and received funding last year!
Can you describe what Nitrile Neutral is in detail?
Nitrile Neutral is a Lab Green–funded sustainability initiative designed to reduce laboratory waste by diverting single-use nitrile gloves from landfill through a dedicated recycling program.
In many research and teaching labs, nitrile gloves are considered unavoidable consumables and are typically disposed of as general waste. Nitrile Neutral addresses this gap by introducing clearly labeled glove-only recycling bins into our lab space, making sustainable disposal easy and accessible.
By integrating glove recycling into everyday lab workflows, the project promotes environmentally responsible research practices and contributes to a circular economy for lab consumables, while also increasing awareness of sustainability within the kinesiology research community.
Can you describe the process-how specifically, will the used gloves be turned into new materials?
Used nitrile gloves are collected in designated, pre-approved recycling boxes that are specifically intended for glove-only waste. Once a box is full, it is shipped to a Canadian processing facility through TerraCycle.
At the facility, the gloves are sorted to remove contaminants, then cleaned and mechanically processed. The material is shredded and melted into plastic pellets, which can be remanufactured into new plastic products such as industrial components, outdoor materials, or shipping supplies. This process prevents gloves from entering landfills while transforming a traditionally non-recyclable waste stream into reusable raw material.
What are some key outcomes you anticipate (or have achieved) with this initiative?
Nitrile Neutral has integrated eco-friendly waste management practices into our daily lab operations and have actively engaged lab members in sustainable practices. Over the first nine months of implementation, the project has successfully recycled over 2,775 nitrile gloves.
By the end of the program, we anticipate having recycled over 4,500 nitrile gloves. Furthermore, the initiative encourages lab members to think critically about waste streams that are often overlooked in exercise physiology research environments.
Do you see this model expanding to other UBC Kin labs or teaching spaces?
Yes, this model is transferable and well-suited for expansion into other UBC Kinesiology research labs and teaching spaces. The initiative is innovative in that it introduces a closed-loop recycling solution for nitrile gloves, supported by clear standards of practice and minimal disruption to existing lab workflows.
With the development of shared guidelines, signage, and training materials, the program could be readily adopted by additional departments. In the long term, this approach has the potential to scale beyond kinesiology and contribute to a broader, campus-wide sustainable glove disposal program at UBC.
What are your future goals/plans with Nitrile Neutral?
The long-term goal of Nitrile Neutral is sustained support for implementation across UBC Kin, which directly supports UBC’s Zero Waste Action Plan. Beyond glove recycling, Nitrile Neutral also serves as a starting point for broader conversations around waste reduction in research settings, encouraging students, faculty, and staff to identify and address other overlooked sources of environmental impact within laboratory environments.
We thank Viviana for sharing her project with us. We also thank Chloe Mathews for her contributions to the Nitrile Neutral initiative and everyone who played a part by recycling their gloves!
The University of British Columbia community is coming together for Giving Day — a 24-hour celebration of generosity and impact. Faculty, staff, alumni, students, and friends are invited to join us in supporting initiatives that make a meaningful difference on campus and beyond.
This year, the School of Kinesiology and the Faculty of Education is proud to highlight four impactful funds:
🏅 Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and Mikulec Family Award in Sport Coaching Supporting students in UBC’s Master of High-Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership program as they prepare to lead at provincial, national, Olympic, and Paralympic levels.
🎓 Faculty of Education Bursary Providing essential financial support to aspiring teachers and kinesiologists, helping them focus on their studies and make a positive impact in classrooms and communities.
✨ Learn and Earn: An Initiative of Walk With Us Supporting Indigenous students as early as Grade 11 through paid classroom experience, Education Assistant training, and pathways into the Native Indian Teacher Education Program (NITEP), strengthening representation in education.
🌈 CampOUT! A transformative summer leadership camp fostering confidence, connection, and community for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.
Every gift, big or small, helps create opportunities, remove barriers, and support the next generation of leaders.
Applications are open for KIN 471 Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) 2026 Summer.
Don’t miss the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working within an inter-professional health team to asses and rehabilitate neurological balance and mobility deficits using evidence-based group, and individualized, exercise programming.
Applications are open now until 11:59pm March 6th, 2026.
Click the button below for course details, prerequisites, and required availability.
The UBC Active Kids Program is seeking passionate and knowledgeable instructors to join its team of Multisport and Physical Literacy Instructors this Spring term (May – June)!
Instructors introduce children to sport specific skills, agility, balance, coordination, and fundamental movement skills such as running, jumping, kicking, throwing, and catching. Using a variety of games and drills, all led by the instructor, the emphasis is on fun, building confidence and motivation, and developing a lifelong love of physical activity.
Full details about the job and how to apply are in the button below.
Take 15 minutes to help improve UBC! Complete the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to share your educational experiences at UBC. NSSE focuses on first- and fourth-year students to understand experiences at the start and near the end of their degree.
Complete the survey by March 30. Be entered to win 1 of 15 $100 gift cards!
First, it seeks to introduce students to Indigenous sports that Inuit Elders have carried forward from land-based ways of life into contemporary sport. Through this engagement, students are exposed to Inuit life and culture, experience Arctic Sports firsthand, and learn about their histories within broader contexts of colonization and cultural revitalization through sport.
Second, the collaboration supports ongoing conversations with the YASC about how UBC faculty and students can learn from and contribute to the YASC’s ongoing work in Arctic Sports, while also providing students with valuable skills and experience in Indigenous sport contexts, in partnership with Indigenous peoples.
To support these objectives, two returning instructors—Eric Porter (Kaska First Nation) and Emily King (Tahltan Nation), who is also a World Champion in the One-Foot High Kick—led the instructional components. They were joined by the YASC Executive Director, Gael Marchand (settler ally), who accompanied them throughout the week, participated in all activities, and led classroom sessions focused on the history and culture of the Inuit and Arctic Sports. The first large class began with an opening from the YASC Elder, Gord Reed, who joined virtually.
Over five days, from January 19–23, 2026, Gael, Emily, and Eric visited eight classrooms and engaged with approximately 800 students. In addition, they connected with UBC HOPE, the UBC student chapter of PHE Canada, the national association for Physical and Health Education.
Compared to the previous year, the initiative reached more students and a broader and more diverse range of classrooms, engaging students across multiple disciplines, including Indigenous Studies, History, Sociology, Health, and Psychology. This embedded, experiential learning model created meaningful opportunities for students across disciplines to engage with Arctic Sports as living cultural practices, while also allowing instructors and faculty to identify connections across courses and shared pedagogical interests.
Special thanks go to the Yukon Aboriginal Sport Circle (YASC) for their generous support and collaboration. Their ongoing work to promote Indigenous sports across the North and at UBC is vital, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from their leaders.
