Student profile: Andy Hung

Hey everyone! My name is Andy and I’m in my 5th year of KIN’s Interdisciplinary stream. I love the field of Kinesiology because it encompasses a wide range of disciplines. The School reflects this in its diverse course offerings and as a result, it has opened many doors for me to engage in a spectrum of opportunities both at UBC and out in the community. For example, I spent three years as a student athletic trainer with the UBC men’s basketball team and currently serve on the executive team of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement club. Outside of UBC, I intern at a health start-up and also work as a behaviour interventionist.

When I’m studying, you’ll typically find me in the Woodward Library with a pair of earphones on listening to classical music. I’m a big advocate for work-life balance and in my free time, I like to get outside to move. This helps me recharge so that I can come back and focus on my work.

During my studies, I have discovered that I really enjoy research because it offers us the chance to solve yet unanswered questions. This past summer, I was awarded the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award to conduct research on the interaction between air pollution and physical activity in the Environmental Physiology Laboratory. It was thrilling to take the skills I’d learned in the classroom (e.g. VO2max test, spirometry, EVH) and utilize them in applied settings. My favourite part of data collection was having the chance to conduct blood draws! In November, I was honoured to have the chance to present my research at the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology’s (CSEP) AGM. I feel lucky now to be able to continue this research through the directed studies course (KIN492) under the supervision of Dr. Michael Koehle.

I have learned so much while I’ve been here. One of the most surprising and valuable aspects of my studies in KIN has been learning how to learn. Right now, the plan after graduation is to take a bit of time off to travel! I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t nailed down what I want to do in the future but hopefully travelling the world and hearing other people’s stories will help me figure it out!

student profile

Active Kids Gymnastics Invitational

Hosted at the UBC Osborne Center by Active Kids, this gymnastics competition is by invite only to select local high schools and clubs. It is a chance for high school athletes to practice their routines in a fun and friendly competition format prior to the Zone and Provincial competitions that are part of the BC High School Sport System.

The Active Kids team is comprised of athletes who train with us but then also represent their school at Zones and Provincials. The team’s head coach is Kari Brackenbury, Active Kids Gymnastics Program Coordinator. The other coaches are made up of UBC students and alumni.

Parents, friends, and the general public are all invited to come and watch. Come cheer on our future champion gymnasts! Admission is free.

Event Date: Sat Feb 22, 4pm-9pm

Eleiter, Amelia

Eleiter-Amelia
Debrand Services, Inc.-Co-Founder& Director, Business Services
ReitenRight Equestrian Inc. -Co-Founder

After ten years of experience in corporate marketing, including roles with professional sport franchises, philanthropic agencies and marketing firms, Amelia developed a holistic understanding of business operations and brand management. During her time with Inventa, a leading experiential marketing agency,she adopted an early understanding of brand marketing and the importance of brand protection.

Upon leaving the agency world, Amelia spent 2007 volunteering on the Southern coast of Sri Lanka with International Development organization, Right To Play. A strong proponent for sport and its ability affect change, Amelia worked with local agencies to empower communities to overcome the ill-effects of war, poverty and natural disaster.

With entrepreneurial blood in the family, in 2008, Amelia and co-founder Wes Baker, launched Cinder Creative Inc. which would later become Debrand Services Inc. In 2013, the two serial entrepreneurs established Reiten Right Equestrian Inc. the creator of an innovative equestrian footing product derived from recycled natural rubber yoga mats. (reitenright.com).

In her role as Director of Business Services, Amelia provides senior leadership in the areas of sales, marketing,partnership development, client relations, human resources and financial management for Debrand Services. She also acts as an advisor in the areas of Sales and Marketing for Reiten Right Equestrian. Under her leadership both businesses have experienced consistent and impressive growth, year over year.

Outside of work, Amelia enjoys living in North Vancouver surrounded by the sea and mountains with her husband, Dave and their two kids, Jonah (4) and Aubrie (1). Whenever, possible you’ll find Amelia exploring the outdoors by bike and doing her best to live and enjoy life in the moment.

Reyes, Alyssa

Alyssa Reyes, BKin 2014, is a current UBC MKin student in Indigenous Studies in Kinesiology. As the Physical Activity Manager for UBC Athletics & Recreation and UBC Wellbeing, she leads, enhances and implements a strategy to increase the level of physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour across UBC Point Grey campus. She is passionate about promoting equitable, inclusive and low-barrier initiatives, serving marginalized populations and transforming physical activity research into practice. Alyssa is currently the project manager of Move UBC, a campus-wide campaign to promote physical activity.

During her time as an undergraduate, she captained the UBC KIN Games team to the first-ever sweep, winning 1st place in every category including the Top University award. She was an active member of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, serving as President in her final active year. She served four years as a UBC Intramurals volunteer in the sponsorship and program development departments. She won the Top Female Earl Award for her participation and competition in intramural events and leagues in 2011, 2013, and 2014 securing her spot in the UBC Intramurals Hall of Fame. She also was elected graduate Class Speaker to speak on behalf of the graduating class during convocation. Alyssa has worked for major sport brands such as the BC Lions, Vancouver Whitecaps, RUN VAN, Canada Running Series and lululemon.

In 2018, she won a President’s Staff Award recipient for her work in advancing diversity and inclusion on campus. Alyssa believes in the importance of promoting physical activity and literacy for all groups. She works to eliminate marginalized peoples’ unique barriers to physical activity, particularly with the Indigenous peoples of Canada. With Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action, she looks to help provide equitable, quality, and positive physical activity experiences for Indigenous people, and to promote Indigenous people in Sport.

Mind in Motion: Exercise as mental health care

A partnership between UBC BodyWorks, UBC Counselling Services, and Kinesiology Professor Guy Faulkner is offering meaningful opportunities for UBC students.

Mind in Motion is an exercise intervention for students seeking mental health care on campus and has been integrated as part of UBC’s stepped care model. Students are referred by UBC Counselling Services to take part in counselling sessions, with exercise offered as a low-intensity psychosocial intervention. Faulkner’s Population Physical Activity Lab led the creation of the partnership, with Faulkner offering direction and supervision to the BodyWorks senior trainers who lead the exercise sessions.

“I joined this program because it provided a unique opportunity to gain research experience while developing my personal training skills. I’ve enjoyed helping other students realize the potential mental health benefits of regular exercise by providing instruction to improve their knowledge and skills, and ultimately help them feel more comfortable and confident exercising on their own,” says Mahabhir Kandola.

Students work with the trainers to develop an individualized program tailored to each student’s abilities and goals, taking part in a combination of group and individual training sessions. Participants are encouraged to attend two supervised sessions with a senior trainer and complete two further sessions independently, either at the BodyWorks gym or another exercise facility.

According to trainer Dannen Johnstone, there are several reasons why BodyWorks is an ideal location for the program. “Not only does BodyWorks offer a great space to train, but the convenient location and friendly environment allowed us to foster great relationships with the participants of Mind in Motion. BodyWorks has individuals of a variety of levels of health and fitness and feels genuinely like a judgement-free space (which is often hard to find in the fitness world). Plus, the staff and trainers are incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, creating a positive space that feels conducive to healthful change for whoever comes in,” says Johnstone.

All participants reported that they were satisfied with the program and that they would recommend it to a friend. Participants also reported that the trainers were friendly, easygoing, and helpful; the gym environment was quiet and non-intimidating; and the flexibility of the program and the option to attend individual or group sessions was well-liked.

Aaron Ma, another BodyWorks trainer involved with the program, points to the benefits that such research offers to Kinesiology students. “The most important thing I have learned from my role here is the skillset to work with a wide variety of people and the experience to bridge clinical and performance goals. BodyWorks is involved in multiple studies each year, providing insight and opportunity to explore physical activity interventions.”

As part of the BodyWorks team, he sees lasting value in this collaboration between BodyWorks, UBC Counselling Services and the Population Physical Activity lab. “These opportunities have prepared me to excel in the work that I do, through education, application, and practice, as well as a mindset for continuous learning,” says Ma. “However, the most invaluable part of my work here is the people I’ve met and the relationships I’ve built with clients and staff.”

For more information about Dr. Faulkner’s work on physical exercise and mental health, visit the Population Physical Activity Lab.

Smith, Casey (1958-1988)

The late Casey Smith, a 1988 Kinesiology graduate, happens to be one of only three UBC head coaches to guide the ‘Birds to Canada’s university football championship, the Vanier Cup. Casey earlier played Thunderbird football from 1983 through 1985 under the tutelage of his father, Hall of Fame head coach Frank Smith, also one of those three to win a Vanier Cup.

Casey’s speciality in Kinesiology was Coaching Science in which he attained his Masters degree while an assistant coach with the Thunderbirds. In 1995 Casey succeeded his father as head coach of UBC football and within three seasons he created and guided a team that would win the 1997 Hardy Cup, the Atlantic Bowl and finally with a 39 – 33 victory over the University of Ottawa, the Vanier Cup.

Tragically in 1998 Casey was diagnosed with liver cancer delegating his coaching responsibilities on to his Defensive Coordinator. The team dedicated the season to him with the words “Courage for Casey” affixed to their helmets with Casey promising to support his team from the stands. At his last public appearance, the 1998 Shrum Bowl, he was presented the Football BC Builders Award while receiving a standing ovation. Former player Dan Elliott reminisced, “I would describe Casey Smith as UBC Football – you know, hard work, dedication, courage. He put everything he had into the program.”

Fred Hume
2020

Tolhurst, Art

UBC Kinesiology graduate Art Tolhurst has experienced an interesting route to achievement. Attending high school in Richmond, Art was an outstanding football player with an interest and a goal. Following a year at Langara College he enrolled at UBC in Human Kinetics while playing Thunderbird football from 1997 through 2002. The 1997 Thunderbird team happened to win the Vanier Cup with Tolhurst on board and as his UBC career advanced he evolved to become one of our best, earning Canada West All-Star and All Canadian honours in 2002.

Tolhurst played pro football in Hamburg Germany and with the BC Lions in 2003. Following his pro career Art embarked upon a football coaching career in Vienna Austria then later served as an intern at the University of South Florida. He then took a Graduate Assistant position with the University of Oregon Strength and Conditioning Department. His next step was to achieve his Masters of Science in Educational Leadership at Oregon which earned him a full-time Assistant Strength Coach position at Cal Berkeley. He then returned to Oregon for four more years as Assistant Strength Coach before being hired in 2015 by the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as Assistant Strength Coach fulfilling a life-long dream of working in the NFL. Art coached on the Browns’ staff for three years until 2017. Tolhurst feels landing the jobs he has as a Canadian in big programs such as Oregon and the NFL Browns has been both a challenge and an accomplishment. He is proud to say large influences in his post secondary education were UBC Kinesiology alumni Norm Olenick and Kevin Hanson.

Art’s advice for students is to go for what you want, enhance your qualifications, keep in contact with colleagues and help people when you can.

Fred Hume
2020

Sustainability Scholars Program

Call for applications:

The Sustainability Scholars Program is an innovative paid internship program. We match UBC graduate students with on- and off-campus sustainability partners to work on applied research projects that advance sustainability across the region.

Are you a UBC graduate student interested in . . .

Solving real-world sustainability questions and challenges?
Getting paid while gaining valuable professional work experience?
Developing applied sustainability skills and knowledge under the guidance of a mentor?
Building a professional network of sustainability practitioners?

Apply to be a UBC Sustainability Scholar this summer and contribute to advancing the environmental, social, and economic sustainability goals of organizations across the region.

For information on available projects, visit our website.

Applications close February 2!

Congratulations to Drs. Mark Carpenter, J. Tim Inglis, and to Eveline Pasman, Bastiaan Bloem, Martin McKeown and Taylor W.Cleworth on their publication

Congratulations to faculty members, Drs. Mark Carpenter and J. Tim Inglis and fellow members of the Origins of Balance Deficits and Falls cluster, Bastiaan Bloem, Martin McKeown and Taylor W.Cleworth on their recent publication: “A Novel MRI Compatible Balance Simulator to Detect Postural Instability in Parkinson’s Disease”, which was recently published in Frontiers in Neurology – the world leading open-access journal in its field.

Postural instability is a debilitating and largely treatment-resistant symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD). A better understanding of the neural substrates contributing to postural instability could lead to new targets for improved pharmacological and neurosurgical interventions. However, investigating these neural substrates necessitates the use of functional MRI scanners, which are almost exclusively horizontally-based. The team aimed to develop, and validate the use of, an MRI compatible balance simulator to study static and dynamic balance control in PD patients and elderly controls.

Deficits in static and dynamic balance control can be detected in PD patients using a novel MRI compatible balance simulator. This novel technique allows for functional neuroimaging to be combined with balance-relevant tasks, and provides a new means to create insights into the neural substrates contributing to postural instability in PD.

Click here to read more.

Active Kids 2018/2019 Year In Review

Active Kids has completed it’s 2018/2019 Annual Report! It contains more information about who we are, and highlights some of our favorite success stories from Kin students and community partners initiatives that took place during the last full academic year. We invite you to view it on our website

If you would like to get involved and become a coach or volunteer for any of our programs please visit our website at kin.ubc.ca/activekids/hiring or email kimberly.truong@ubc.ca.