UBC School of Kinesiology’s Professor Dr. Eli Puterman explains how our bodies handle stress and how exercise can be used to combat this stress around the holidays.
See the interview in its entirety on Global News.
KIN Senior Orientation Leader: Kirkland Halliday
Hi everyone! My name is Kirkland Halliday, and I am in my 3rd year of Interdisciplinary Kin. I haven’t figured out what I want to do once I graduate, but I’m very interested in anything related to the brain, especially concussions – of which I admittedly have had a few too many. For all those rare moments when I am not in Osborne or Wood, I love to do anything outside: hiking, running, surfing – you name it! I am on the Level 6 Coed Cheerleading Team at UBC, meaning that when I’m not in Osborne working in labs, I am probably still there for cheer practice.
In my opinion, “being a leader” cannot be defined because it means something different to everybody. For me personally, it means being the best person you can be at all times. It means stepping up whenever possible while accepting that people can demonstrate leadership in different ways. I believe that by recognizing different leadership styles we can each grow as leaders. Serving as a Senior Orientation Leader (SrOL) provided me with the opportunity to meet so many new friends in the Kin-munity this past year: these people have changed the way I see leadership, the way I see teamwork, and the way I see myself as well.
I think that the best part about being a SrOL was that it allowed me the opportunity to challenge myself. For example, I have always been a nervous public speaker but the SrOL position allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and practice that skill. I have become much more confident when I present in front of others. Thanks to my fellow SrOLs and others with whom I worked, I learned to control my nerves and to have faith in my own abilities. Overall, becoming a SrOL was one of the best decisions I’ve made so far in my undergraduate degree, as it was a great way to meet other leaders, work on my goals, and challenge myself to try new things.
Nominate the Next Worthy KIN Alum for an Alumni UBC Achievement Award!
The accomplishments of the members of UBC’s global community of alumni represent an inspiring account of positive social, cultural, and economic change in the world.
Please help us recognize your fellow UBC alumni who are advancing their ambitions for a better world. The next Awards recipients won’t raise their own hands. That’s why we need you to nominate or submit a name to us.
Nominations close on January 31, 2020.
If you know someone who graduated with a Physical Education, Human Kinetics or Kinesiology degree whose accomplishments you think should be recognized, click here to nominate them today. Or send us the name of the person you want to nominate in an email to: kin.alumni@ubc.ca
Congratulations to the KIN Graduating Class of Fall 2019!
On November 27th, 2019, the UBC School of Kinesiology celebrated 64 new graduates who completed their degree from a range of programs: B.Kin, M.Kin, M.Sc. M.A., PhD, and (M)HPCTL. We would like to welcome them into the UBC KIN alumni community! Please join us in congratulating them.
To our new young alumni, we have a personalized video clip from alumniUBC of each of you crossing the stage and receiving your UBC degree. You can view and download your clip here.
KIN Senior Orientation Leader: Aayush Malhotra
What’s up Kinners? My name is Aayush and I am a fourth-year student in the Interdisciplinary stream. I decided to pursue Kinesiology because, like many, I am heavily involved in sport and played competitive tennis for 7 years, which led to an injury that I was hoping my studies would help me to fix! In doing so, I have fallen in love with the program – especially the physiology side – with my favourite classes being Kin 190/191 (that’s 110/131 for the new students), 275, 375 and 473. After I graduate this year, I hope to continue my education by completing a masters abroad or by applying to medical school somewhere in Canada.
Outside of school, I volunteer with the AMS Speakeasy, an amazing resource on campus that offers peer to peer support for a wide range of student issues; and at the Vancouver Crisis Centre, where I teach classes on mental wellbeing and suicide prevention. I am very passionate about mental health and look to help within the field wherever possible. I still love tennis and split my time between the court and the gym each week. I also work at a lab on campus where we are investigating addiction and decision-making behaviours, which is an area I hope to continue working on in the future!
My favourite part of the undergrad experience by far has been the camaraderie that Kinesiology students share, no matter what stream or year. I love how I can walk into practically any active Kin class and pick out at least a handful of students with whom I am close, because Kin pride is so strong and is cultivated right at the start of Imagine Day. This is part of what led me to the Senior Orientation Leader (SrOl) position, as I was able to make a direct and salient difference in the incoming class’ introduction to Kinesiology and help shape the attitudes that they’ll carry over the next four years.
If you are looking for a leadership role within Kinesiology that is both rewarding and enjoyable, I would encourage you to apply as a SrOl! Through this position, I was able to take an active role within the planning of Imagine Day, helped to train the orientation leader team and shaped the experiences of incoming students to Kin. Becoming a SrOl has helped me to grow as a leader, work on my ability to collaborate with others, and gain confidence with public speaking.
Being a SrOl isn’t all about gaining experience — I have also made some amazing connections with great people on campus, which was my favourite part of this role. I went on a fun weekend retreat to meet the other faculties’ leaders, have become friends with my fellow Kinesiology seniors, and have worked closely with many phenomenal staff, all of whom made this a very worthwhile experience and one that I would urge you to pursue!
Distinguished Speaker Series: What ‘startles’ tell us about motor control in health & disease
Dr. Vivian Weerdesteyn is an Associate Professor with the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour at Radboud University, in Norway. On December 4, 2020, as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series, she presented on patients with corticospinal lesions that support the involvement of the reticulospinal system in StartReact.
She explains how conflicting findings in choice reaction tasks may be understood within this framework and the implications of StartReact results for motor control in health and disease.
Professor Emeritus Dr. Jack Taunton inducted to the Field Hockey Hall of Fame
Congratulations to Professor Emeritus Dr. Jack Taunton, for having been selected to be inducted in the Field Hockey Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions to Canadian field hockey!
Learn more about Dr.Taunton
Letter from Hall of Fame Committee
Video spotlight: The research of Dr. Eli Puterman and Dr. Guy Faulkner
Watch two School of Kinesiology researchers, Eli Puterman and Guy Faulkner, as they speak to us about their work and the importance of daily physical activity for physical and mental health. Learn about their understanding of how to help people become active and stay physically active, and how to make it inclusive and accessible to all groups.
End of Term Lab Outing!
Dec. 10, 2019 – The @PopPALabUBC celebrating the end of the 2019 term with a very enjoyable (and highly competitive) afternoon of curling!
PhD Graduate Studentship Available
Dec. 6, 2019 – PhD Graduate Studentship Available in the Pop-PA Lab
Dr. Guy Faulkner invites applications for a PhD studentship to start in September 2020 in the School of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The focus of the studentship is examining the feasibility of mobile app-based interventions to increase physical activity among adults with depression.
The award of the studentship will be based on a competitive process. If awarded, it would be a full-time studentship (funded for 4 years) covering tuition, and a maintenance allowance. The maintenance allowance is currently $18,000 per annum. Additional teaching assistantships are typically available. The work location will be in the School of Kinesiology at UBC (Vancouver campus). Given the nature of the work some travel will be necessary. Candidates should meet admission criteria for the PhD program in the School of Kinesiology – http://kin.educ.ubc.ca/students/graduate/doctoral-program/. The successful applicant(s) will also possess excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. Applications should be made by January 30th, 2020.
Please address informal inquiries to Dr. Guy Faulkner at guy.faulkner@ubc.ca. Further information about Dr. Faulkner and his research program is available at www.kin.ubc.ca/pop-palab