Dean’s Message – Dr. Jan Hare, Faculty of Education
At the Faculty of Education, we are proud to have the School of Kinesiology as part of our academic community. Kinesiology stands out as a place where innovative research, outstanding teaching, and a commitment to student success come together to advance knowledge of human movement, health, and well-being.
What sets the UBC School of Kinesiology apart is its ability to connect science and practice in ways that enrich both education and society. Our faculty members are internationally recognized scholars whose work spans fields such as sport and exercise science, health promotion, biomechanics, and physical activity across the lifespan. Their research advances academic inquiry while shaping healthier communities and informing public policy.
Equally inspiring are our diverse and dynamic students, who bring creativity, curiosity, and a passion for making a difference. Whether through athletic performance, community engagement, or research, they embody the values of leadership, inclusivity, and innovation.
As part of the Faculty of Education, Kinesiology plays a critical role in preparing the next generation of educators, researchers, and health leaders — ensuring that the transformative power of movement, health, and human potential continues to strengthen UBC and society as a whole.
Dr. Jan Hare, PhD
Dean, UBC Faculty of Education
Director’s Message – Dr. Mark Carpenter & Dr. Romeo Chua, School of Kinesiology
It has been an exciting few months as we find ourselves starting this academic year as the interim co-directors of the School of Kinesiology. Over this time, and in these roles, it has only reinforced our beliefs in the unique character, community and potential of our School.
The School continues to build on its international reputation of academic excellence, currently ranked 2nd in Canada, and 5th internationally. This excellence is featured through our research and educational leadership across diverse areas of Kinesiology including the physiology of exercise, sport and exercise medicine, neuromechanical regulation of posture, gait and balance, motor skill acquisition and physical literacy, the psychology and behavioural factors underlying physical activity and sport participation, equity and inclusion, identity and self-image, sport, society and sustainability, and Olympism and high performance coaching. The multidisciplinary research and educational leadership activity within the School and our local and international collaborative networks has fostered a thriving scholarly environment and citizenship that is committed to improving the lives of Canadians.
The School provides a rich learning and mentoring environment and an inclusive and close-knit community culture, that continues to attract a growing number of talented domestic and international undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Our vibrant outreach programs translate best-evidence knowledge to action in service to the community across all ages, while providing rich experiential learning opportunities for students. All of these accomplishments would not be possible without our talented and dedicated staff that bring supportive leadership and professionalism across all operations of the School.
As we move into our new home in the Gateway Building at the end of 2025, the School is well positioned to enrich and sustain the quality of teaching, research and community engagement priorities into the future. Expansion of new and diverse course offerings, research experiences and experiential learning opportunities in conjunction with curricular mapping will enhance integration of theoretical and practical learning to ensure foundational, relevant knowledge and skill development for graduates of our programs.
The School will soon welcome a new Director to lead the next phase of the School’s growth, with a newly formulated School Strategic Plan that will result from envisioning the School’s place institutionally, its reach and connection with communities, its contributions to the field, to the community of Kinesiology schools and faculties nationally, and its aspirational impact globally. In the meantime, we look forward to working together with all of our students, staff and faculty to help us reach our collective goals and become leaders across all facets of the field of Kinesiology.
Dr. Mark Carpenter
Co-Director, School of Kinesiology
Dr. Romeo Chua
Co-Director, School of Kinesiology
Former Director’s Message – Dr. Robert Boushel, School of Kinesiology
Presented at the School Retreat, June 2025
As this is our last retreat together and I approach the end of my 2nd term, I thought I’d leave you with some brief reflections on my time as Director in the School over the last 10 years and thoughts for the future. I am delighted that Romeo Chua and Mark Carpenter will serve as co-Directors of the School on an interim basis. I know they will do an outstanding job. With the exception of Patricia Vertinsky who recently retired, the leadership team will remain steadfast with Paul Kennedy as Associate Director of Undergraduate Affairs, Nikki Hodges as Associate Director of Graduate Studies, Mark Beauchamp as Associate Director of Research, Kathy Manson as Executive Coordinator & Program Administrator, and Jessica Hou as Manager, Administration & Finance. The School is in good hands.
When I think of our work together, starting in 2015 and guided by our Strategic Plan with its nine priorities and goals, I can see how much we have accomplished since then. A significant factor I observed in the growth of the School from the beginning of my Directorship, was the importance of a cohesive culture, a collective commitment and investment in our research, teaching and engagement activities. It has been extremely satisfying to see such an energized disposition of belonging and contributions to an increasingly dynamic academic community, especially one so inconveniently spread out in different physical spaces across the entire UBC campus. Another priority was our efforts toward developing a brand-new home for the School. The move to Gateway will open a new era for the School, with beautiful learning spaces for students in an inspiring atmosphere with new and creative opportunities for interaction, collaboration, and greater visibility of our collective work. Many people will come through our doors and I am sure they will see a buzzing, beehive of people, who will finally all feel that this is ‘OUR’ home.
If you reflect on the collegial, energetic exchanges you have experienced at gatherings like this one, that dynamic will then be further enhanced in Gateway. Ideas will flow and be exchanged, direct communication will improve operations, and our ‘nimbleness’ in action on strategies will be strengthened through easier interaction in the halls and across labs. You’ll be visible, have office neighbours, see all the KIN students in one building, get to chat with colleagues about what’s happening in each other’s lab on any given day, and invite someone to drop by. You’ll know more about each other’s work and how it interacts with and enriches your own as well as the collective. You may also reflect on the prominent place the School will have as ‘The Gateway to the University,’ right where the external UBC sign stands, and where the UBC community and visitors will be able to point out ‘that’s the home of Kinesiology’, one of the top Schools in the world. I know your reflections and responses to that commendation will be graced with your usual humility, but in a quiet way, for there is a very real recognition of the prominence of the School at UBC.
In reading through our substantive and illuminative Self-Study I think we have accomplished a great deal together. There have been significant contributions from so many of you singly and collectively. We are extremely strong in research productivity, funding and impact, nationally and internationally. Reflecting on the culture of the School, one of the best examples is the ‘ethos’ of striving that is shared in a cultural way amongst so many of you. You all push to be your best, strive for grants, work to publish, thoughtfully reach for the next improvement in programmatic developments and delivery, and strive in all ways for excellence. I see no signs of that changing and to me that is a very strong indicator of a leading academic unit. Our curriculum is renewed, well-constructed and rich in content and pedagogical wisdom. It is becoming more refined year by year and listens to the latest ideas and support trends. Thanks to Paul Kennedy for all of his dedication and scholarship in this area. Led by him, educational leadership faculty are bringing more and more creative ideas and initiatives to the knowledge enterprise to improve the quality of instruction and the student experience; e.g., curricular mapping, work integrated learning, community-based learning, inclusivity, Indigeneity, equity, accessibility, wellness, resilience and success – all ideas which are designed to reach students in meaningful ways and support their belonging in a changing world and constantly shifting social environment. A unique character of the School and important indicator of the School’s excellence is your commitment to teaching and to the promotion of our students’ university experiences. This aspect of our School’s culture was particularly impressive to the external reviewers on their visit to the School. Furthermore, there is more to come with exciting developments on the horizon with the imminence of the CEP/Professional Kinesiology pathway and the feasibility of other ideas and initiatives such as a certificate in Accessibility and Sustainability in Sport and Physical Culture. What has always been special and is widely known across campus is the unique KIN spirit created by our students and the KUS, that I am quite sure will continue into the future.
It will be exciting to see the further growth and impact of the two School Centres, the Centre for Sport and Sustainability, and the UBC Balance and Falls Research Centre. There is also the senate-approved Centre for Innovation in Team Based Care, of which the School is a member in the soon to be developed Gateway Clinic. All of these contribute significantly to the translational capacity of our generated research knowledge, our external collaborative links and potential. Together with our vibrant and thriving Active Kids program, BodyWorks, PARC, our partnership with CSI and the High-Performance Coaching program, they all contribute in a major way to our outstanding profile.
I am leaving my role with the same kind of enthusiasm as I had when I began my role as Director. As we can see documented in Don Wells’ book on the School’s Minds and Motion, our work together over the years has built an extraordinarily strong foundation. We have accomplished much together and we have learned and grown together. As we transition to Gateway, complete a search for a new Director, and create a new strategic Plan, I am confident that the School will continue to thrive, focused on excellence, the strengthening of the field of Kinesiology and the fine-tuned interconnections among disciplines we have woven in our work together. In continuing along this path, it will be critically important that the School maintains its autonomy to define its identity, priorities, funding and future objectives. We are in very good hands with Romeo Chua and Mark Carpenter for the next phase in our transition.
I would like to say a few words of thanks. First, to the leadership team. You have been fantastic to work with. Your genuine care for the School and people is ever-present, and your collegial way of working together by finding the best approaches and decisions to guide the School, (whether the ideas were yours or those of others), was a model of team collegiality and leadership. Your thoughtful insights, strategic thinking, attention to detail, work ethic, constant humor and good fun together made my job enjoyable and was invaluable to the School. I salute the Administrative staff, whose professionalism, bright smiles, kindness, goodness, care for others, fun and wit made the office the best place to be at UBC. As I said to the external reviewers who had very laudable comments about our staff, ‘they are really outstanding professionals and good people’. To our Faculty, I’ll just say it is a special, inspiring place to be in a leadership role when all around you there is an abundance of talent and commitment for excellence. Keep on doing what you’re doing and I hope you’ll keep an eye and thought on the special honour and privilege it is to be a university professor in this university and especially in the School. Finally, I’d like to thank and Kathy Manson and Huda Hamze who I worked closely with daily. Huda, your strategic thinking, analytical skill, emotional intelligence and wisdom have been invaluable to me and to the School. Kathy, you are an extraordinary person and it has been an honour to work with you. As your title rightly states you have been the ‘Executive Coordinator & Program Administrator’ in its truest sense. Your work ethic and professionalism, is second to none. You especially gave the many things we did over the years in the School a special quality of refinement and distinction that embodied the highest standards of the executive. You have been my right hand, my guide, and my barometer and I had the huge fortune of working alongside you during my time as Director of the School.
Dr. Robert Boushel
Director (2015 – 2025), School of Kinesiology