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
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.
Dec. 10, 2019 – The @PopPALabUBC celebrating the end of the 2019 term with a very enjoyable (and highly competitive) afternoon of curling!
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
Hi! My name is Julia Tepes and I am a third year KIN transfer student in the Interdisciplinary stream. I chose to study KIN because I love people, fitness and health. Kinesiology seemed like the perfect fit! So far, my favorite course at UBC has been KIN 373, Research Methods in Kinesiology. I love research because it gives us the ability to better understand each other and the world around us as a whole. On a different note, something most people do not know about me is that I’ve been singing in a choir for 11 years, I love hiking, and I just bought a long board! Just know that if you see someone face-plant off a rolling object while on your way to class, it could very well be me.
I hear many students talking about becoming a physiotherapist, and I think that’s a great career choice, but part of me can’t help but wonder what that really brings and what else is out there. To find out, I decided to apply to the KIN Co-op Program.
So far we’ve completed a workshop on cover letters, resumes and self-assessment, and another workshop all about applying for jobs and interviewing techniques! I thought I knew all about applying for jobs (I had previously taken professional development courses at BCIT), but it was humbling to realize how much I still had to learn. It’s been so great having Simone, the Co-op Coordinator, and Leah, the Co-op Program Associate here as they’re open to helping with even the nittiest and grittiest of things.
Did you know that there is highly effective way to organize your resume to highlight your relevant skills and experience for each job you are applying to? After our first workshop, my resume has completely changed, and is now suited to be sent out to Kinesiology Co-op employers! The interviewing workshop was also extremely eye-opening, as we not only learned how to talk about ourselves (something I did not think I’d struggle with), but how to tailor and phrase answers in a way that will keep employers engaged and impressed.
I definitely recommend the Co-op Program to other students. You have nothing to lose. If you find that you get overwhelmed with school and zone out during the semester (like me), co-op is a great way to force yourself to get out of your comfort zone and think of the bigger picture – not just the here and now. Simone and Leah become your biggest cheerleaders! If you don’t know what you want to do with your degree (again, like me), this program can expose you to careers you may not have pictured yourself in before. I’m so excited for all that is to come and would love to keep fellow Kinners posted on the adventures that come with this whole co-op experience. Thanks for tuning in!
Hi! My name is Aisha, I’m a fourth year UBC Kinesiology major in the Interdisciplinary stream. I transferred from Capilano University in 2018 and am now completing my second year at UBC. I aspire to have a career in healthcare, particularly in physical therapy or chiropractic. My area of interest lies in rehabilitation and treatments using alternative medicine. I currently volunteer at physical therapy and chiropractic clinics to learn more about new healthcare innovations and practices, and have recently started working as a therapeutic play instructor with a child that has cerebral palsy. After I graduate from KIN, I hope to pursue my passion for healthcare in a professional program.
After transferring to UBC there were countless opportunities to get involved, but the chance to become a Senior Orientation Leader (SrOL) with KIN is what most drew me. As a transfer student myself, I was unhappy with my Imagine Day experience and felt isolated as a result. As a SrOL, I was able to impact the KIN transfer student experience for the better by working with a dynamic team; in particular, working to incorporate more relevant events and to foster a sense of community!
Serving as a SrOL provides several unique experiences and responsibilities for students. Throughout the role, providing insight from a student’s perspective is key. We are encouraged to bring our personal perspectives, leadership styles and work ethics to the table. Senior Orientation leaders are given the opportunity to find a working group dynamic, and to practice public speaking, as well as planning and strategy. I’m really proud of the outcome, and knowing the amount of work we put into a year of planning the upcoming Imagine Day, I can’t imagine spending all that time with anyone other than the Kinesiology Senior Orientation Leaders!
Being a SrOL allowed for lots of self-reflection, community engagement and personal growth. I’ve grown so much over the year, I feel a part of the UBC student body rather than just a student who attends UBC. I’ve learned more about myself, student leadership, student resources and having worked with students from a variety of faculties, about the diversity of the UBC community.
I believe personal growth comes from challenging yourself and pushing the envelope to change something about yourself — I would recommend others also try pushing their boundaries and become involved with UBC in a new capacity. As a SrOL, the opportunity to try new things and challenge myself has been so rewarding! This role has redefined how I perceive leadership; you are a part of something bigger than yourself. Your ideas impact so many incoming students, some you may directly work with and so many more that you can influence but don’t directly work with; recognizing this shows how integral a SrOL is in the process leading up to Imagine Day. After this experience I’m glad I took a chance and applied to be a SrOL. The personal growth I’ve experienced would never have happened if I hadn’t taken on this leadership role!
Nov. 25, 2019 – New paper out by Dr. Lira Yun and Dr. Guy Faulkner evaluating ParticipACTION’s 150 Play List (a year-long, national mass reach campaign that included community events). Read it here!
1979 UBC Physical Education graduate Al Morrow has accomplished as much or more than anyone in the realm of Canadian rowing.
While a student at UBC during the early 1970s Morrow rowed for UBC then coached the Thunderbird men’s rowing crews until graduating. While at UBC he represented Canada in the eights at the 1976 Olympics then again was selected to Canada’s team for the 1980 Games. As the UBC coach he along with fellow coach Glenn Battersby, established for the first time a women’s rowing program at UBC, launching it in November, 1976.
Morrow’s UBC rowing experience was an early chapter in what would evolve to become one of Canada’s most impressive coaching resumes. For five decades Morrow either rowed for or coached Canada’s National team with his teams winning eighteen medals at World Championships in addition to four golds, one silver and eight bronze in Olympic competition. Within this accomplished body of work, he is best known as head coach of Canada’s women’s rowing teams for the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and assistant coach of the Olympic silver medal-winning women’s eights in 2012.
As the coaching guru at the national level Morrow has also served as the director of Canada’s National Rowing Centre and as of 2012 is the Performance Director for Canada’s lightweight men’s program.
Morrow has been well recognized for his longevity and expertise. He has been awarded several times the Wittenauer/Longines coaching excellence award, a Federal Government meritorious service award, the Geoff Gowan Coaching Award and was named the 1999 World Rowing Federation Coach of the Year. He is an inductee in the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and in 2006 was inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.
Fred Hume
2013
It is with great sadness the School has learned that Emeritus, Jack Pomfret passed away on Nov 6th. He was 96 years old. Jack was an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Education (School of Kinesiology) at UBC from1946-1988, serving a 41 year career as a dedicated teacher, and a remarkable 37 years as a varsity coach. Jack was exceptional, and ‘felt that teaching kids was his most important responsibility’. He excelled in sport and was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, and in the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in 1994. Details of Jack’s incredible career are captured here. Our deepest condolences to the Pomfret family, and friends.
A memorial service will take place at St. Philip’s Anglican Church, Vancouver in early January. Formal details and a full obituary will be circulated once confirmed along with flag lowering date.
Event Details:
Hosted by the UBC School of Kinesiology and the Physical Activity and Precision Health Research Cluster and supported by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Killam Connection Award. We’ve invited internationally renowned researchers and physicians to engage the topic of healthy and successful aging from different perspectives. It is our hope that through this series of five lectures, that our public audiences will emerge with a greater appreciation for the many different ways to think about what promotes or hinders healthy and successful aging. Our goal is to support a Canadian culture that values science and discovery to support decisions – at the individual and policy levels.
The first lecture takes place on January 7th, 2020 with the Dean of the Stanford School of Medicine, Dr. Lloyd Minor, who will present on “Precision Health: Stanford’s Vision for Healthy Aging.” With Dr. Minor’s leadership, Stanford Medicine has established a strategic vision to lead biomedical revolution in Precision Health – a fundamental shift to more proactive and personalized health care that empowers people to lead healthy lives.
Dr. Minor’s presentation will speak to that the fact that life expectancy in the US has dropped for three consecutive years, and life expectancy at birth in Canada has simply stopped rising. Many factors contribute to this lack of progress, but one is the traditional reactive model of healthcare. Stanford Medicine’s Precision Health vision is ushering in proactive healthcare that will improve health and wellness throughout the lifespan by predicting, preventing and curing disease-precisely.
Attendance is free, but registration is required. Please click here to register.
Precision Health: Stanford’s Vision for Healthy Aging
Dr. Lloyd Minor, MD
Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine
Winners and Losers in Global Action on Aging
Dr. Norah Keating, PhD, FCAHS, FGSA
Director, Global Social Issues on Aging, International Association of
Gerontology & Geriatrics
Self-Determination As We Age, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing
Dr. Evan Adams, MD
Chief Medical Officer for the First Nations Health Authority
The Environment and Our Health: New Discoveries Using Novel Approaches
Dr. David Rehkopf, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Research and Policy at Stanford University
Step Counting and Cadence Tracking in Older Adults:Implications for Health
Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke, PhD, FACSM, FNAK
Professor and Dean of the College of Health and HumanServices at University of North Carolina at Charlotte