HKR in the news
Memorial's longest running employee moves on
After 47 years, Donna Vey retires.
"I’ve been blessed over the years with wonderful co-workers who have been very supportive and with whom I have formed close friendships."
The power of dragon boats
Every year, breast cancer survivors and their friends and families take part in a very old, and very therapeutic event. They race dragon boats. For the past three years one of those survivors, HKR’s Marie Hickey, has been part of the Avalon Dragons.
Watch your step: Researchers help seniors stay on their feet
According to Statistics Canada, approximately one-third of adults over 65 fall each year and 60 per cent of injuries in those over 65 are fall related. Most of these falls occur in the home. Memorial University’s School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) is hoping to change those statistics.
Faculty, staff and programs recognized
HKR got some special recognition on March 19 at the MUN Student Union (MUNSU) Student Volunteer Bureau awards.
New director of Athletics appointed
Dr. Karen Murphy has been appointed the new director of Varsity Athletics.
Soaking up the sun, and the experience
Two graduate students are getting some not-so-typical experience this year interning with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) in Houston, Texas.
Missing - hkr
The Great Big Walk
On March 5, Dr. TA Loeffler set out on a 600 kilometre traverse of the High Himalaya in Nepal. More than 1 million steps later (give or take one or two) her mission was accomplished.
Physical fitness and safety of offshore oil and gas workers
Currently there is no data available on the health and fitness of the province’s offshore workforce. That’s where Human Kinetics and Recreation researchers Drs. Kevin Power, Duane Button and Erin McGowan come in.
Video gaming to get kids physical
Most people, and especially parents, see video games as an activity that does not promote physical activity. But in an age of video game overload, two Human Kinetics and Recreation researchers are hoping to prove that video games may actually help get kids moving.
Coach of the year
Coach Halliday’s athletes set 24 new provincial records, four of which were previously held by him - that’s the most records for a coach in a single season in provincial track and field history.
Like riding a bike
Dr. Heather Carnahan's research was recently featured in International Innovation, a global dissemination resource for the wider scientific, technology and research communities.
Two HKR students working hard to promote recreation are rewarded with scholarships
Fourth year therapeutic recreation student Kate Walsh and first year physical education student Samantha Morey have been named the 2013 recipients of the scholarship for recreation students offered by Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador.
MPE graduate takes over as head of PE organization in Quebec’s English schools
Katherine Baker (MPE ‘07) has accomplished a lot in her relatively short career and her latest accomplishment is yet another step up. Katherine has recently taken over as president of the English branch of the Association of Physical Educators of Quebec (APEQ).
Human Kinetics and Recreation’s Dr. TA Loeffler is not one to waste an opportunity. She recently attended the International Outdoor Education Research Conference in New Zealand and, while there, climbed Mount Cook, the country’s highest peak.
Memorial recreation students have done it again - scoring higher than average on national exam
Once again this year, recreation students from the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) have surpassed the national average. Since 2010, therapeutic recreation (TR) students from Memorial have scored higher than average on the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) exam. The HKR graduates scored an average of 92.9 per cent (up from 80 per cent last year) compared to a national rate of 74.3 per cent.
PE graduate wins national award for getting kids m
PE graduate wins national award for getting kids moving
Charle
ne Shears is passionate about getting our kids moving. She’s a K-12 physical educator at Gros Morne Academy in Rocky Harbour and, a
ccording to those around her, works tirelessly to meet the needs of her students.
Learning to balance: HKR runs fall prevention in Holyrood
Since Mary Corbett had knee surgery nearly three years ago, she’s been terrified of falling. “I was terribly off balance and I have a fear of ice, as I’m sure most seniors do.” Corbett also has fibromyalgia, which causes musculoskeletal pain. But a few months back she noticed an advertisement in the Holyrood town flyer about a falls prevention program so she signed up.
Researching motion-induced fatigue in offshore workers
For people who work at sea, there’s a lot of physical and mental work that happens when they’re on shift. Add to that, the movement from the ship causing a phenomenon called motion-induced fatigue (MIF). HKR student Greg Pearcey is investigating if MIF affects how these workers perform, which in turn affects their safety and their work performance.
MUN Cheer wins a top spot in national competition
HKR students Hailey King, kinesiology, and Kelsie Clayton, recreation, were part of the winning team at a national cheerleading competition recently.
Congratulations!
The School of Human Kinetics and Recreation held its nineth annual Student Academic Awards on Nov. 28. Click here to see a list of our awards as well as some of our winners. Photos of the winners can also be found here.
Student awa rd used for offshore safety research
Andrew Caines (B.Kin.)(Hons.)’13 is being rewarded for research he
believes will influence the lives of many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Dr. Erin McGowan has been given a Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Junior Investigator Grant Panel Travel Award. The award allows junior investigators in cancer research an opportunity to observe a grant review panel to gain knowledge and understanding of the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute peer-review process. “This opportunity will give me an inside look at how research grants are reviewed in order to help with my own future applications.”
HKR alumna does double duty for her third degree
Two time HKR alumnae Deanne Smith is crossing the stage today again after just graduating with her masters in kinesiology in April. While completing her masters, Deanne thought she’d work on her bachelor of nursing at the same time.
Dr. TA Loeffler has been nominated (and has accepted) to be become a
Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. She attended the gala dinner on Nov. 13 in Ottawa to be inducted into the College of Fellows. Nominated by a fellow here in Newfoundland who is familiar with her work in geographic education and exploration/expeditions, she says “I see it as a big honour and recognition.”
Labrador native takes a detour to Afghanistan before fulfilling her dream
Before September 11, 2001 Lisa Murphy hadn’t even thought about being in the military, but the events of that day left her so heartbroken the only thing she felt she could do was be part of the solution.
Living the map: Memorial faculty and the 50 Pond Project
Since May, HKR’s Dr. TA Loeffler, Michael Rayment and Marian Wissink, both from the Department of Computer Science, have been exploring and mapping canoe routes on the Avalon within 75 kms of St. John's. Dr. Loeffler calls it 'loca-venturing'. Read more...
Exchange students wrap up a summer in Germany
Students from HKR just wrapped up a summer session University of Kassel in Germany. From July 29 to Aug. 9, 24 students from around the world attended the first International Summer School of Sports Science (IS4); nine of them from HKR.
Recreation boot camp: Students wrap up unique semester
For recreation students, something happens in their third year that many of them never forget. They take three courses, in six weeks, together and with the same professor: Dr. TA Loeffler. Anyone who knows (or has heard of Dr. Loeffler) knows there’s nothing ordinary about her classes. But this intense three-course summer session is often called ‘Recreation Boot Camp’ and by the end of it, students have been known to forget which course they’re in as the activities and concepts blend together.
From zero to sixty in three semesters
Not knowing his way around a pool was not an issue for Rodney Myers until the fall 2011 semester. That's when he became an expert. Read Rodney's story here.
New recreation graduate Robert Howlett presented a remarkable gift to three Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) faculty recently. It was an engraved rock; one each for Drs. Anne-Marie Sullivan, TA Loeffler and Angela Loucks-Atkinson.
Two HKR students are on a special mission to British Columbia to check out graduate programs. Andrea Anderson, from Makkovik, Labrador and Thomas Dymond, from the Bear River First Nation in Nova Scotia, have been chosen, along with 13 other Canadians, for the Indigenous Graduate Student Orientation program at the University of Victoria (UVic).
NSERC award tops off kin student's degree
Newly graduated kinesiology honours student Nick Snow has received the Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-M) award from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
New dean for the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation
Dr. Heather Carnahan has been appointed the new dean of HKR. Dr. David Wardlaw, provost and vice-president (academic), believes that HKR is headed in a positive direction in terms of growth and research and notes that Dr. Carnahan’s highly relevant experience will have a great impact on the success of the School.
From Canada to Norway and back again
Valérie Bertrand’s life has taken a few unexpected turns but she likes it that way. Her latest adventure is her masters in physical education (MPE), which she’s completing through distance education with the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation all the way from Norway.
Dr. Scott MacKinnon and Dr. Brian Veitch have developed simulator technologies and collaborative virtual environments to to improve safety of life at sea. Watch the story on CBC news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7by1YBAk9IU
Kin student wins national award to study MS
Third year kinesiology student Olivia Manning has won a national award with the MS Society of Canada. It’s a summer studentship award of $5,000 working with Dr. Michelle Ploughman from the Faculty of Medicine.
Hitting the trails
It has been described as a cross between a wheelbarrow and a rickshaw. The TrailRider arrived at the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) last week and it will open up a lot of doors for students like Kayla Riche.
Two HKR researchers hold seats on international committee
The Thera-Band Academy Scientific Advisory Committee (TRAC) has 16 members worldwide and two of those members are from Memorial University.Drs David Behm and Duane Button feel pretty honoured to hold those titles.
V.I.P. students
Four well-deserving HKR students received awards recently. On Feb. 28, the four joined several other Memorial students at the Confederation Building in St. John's for the Volunteer Incentive Program (V.I.P.) recognition ceremony.
Dr. TA Loeffler is the latest Memorial University recipient of the Queen's Jubilee
Dr. TA Loeffler has received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, honouring her contributions to her community.
Seniors need awareness about risk of falling, prof says - Watch Dr. Jeanette Byrne on CBC Television talk about her latest research.
Masters research shows music helps endurance
In the age of technology and portable devices, it's not unusual to see someone listening to music while exercising. For some, it's a psychological thing - putting them in 'the zone' and helping them focus. In fact, there is some evidence that suggests using music can have a psychological effect, decreasing your rate of perceived exertion.
Breaking science
To watch Tony Ingram dance is like watching a moving work of art. The HKR student looks like his body is moving involuntarily, in one fluid motion.
Ingram (BSc. '06) is part of growing trend called breaking or b-boying/b-girling. It might look like what was called break dancing from the 1980s but it's much more sophisticated than that. Read the full story in the Gazette...
HKR student gets executive position on MUNSU
PE student Lisa Murphy has been elected executive director of External Affairs, Communications and Research with the Memorial University Student's Union (MUNSU). Lisa, a fourth year physical education student, is now one of five executive directors.
Famous HKR explorer becomes a human book
Professor and mountain climber Dr. TA Loeffler was part of a National Human Library in January. CBC, in partnership with local libraries and cultural centres, has asked local volunteers with a wide range of life experiences to act as human "books" and be available for one-on-one conversations about their lives.
The NL event was held on Jan. 26 at the St. John's Arts and Culture Centre, in partnership with the A.C. Hunter Public Library. The Human Library concept was developed in Denmark, and human libraries have taken place all over the world. For more information on the Canada-wide event, visit the national site here.
All about mountains
In December, Dr. TA Loeffler presented at Thinking Mountains, an interdisciplinary conference about how mountains are understood physically, as ecosystems, in human history and as part of world cultures.
HKR holds annual awards celebration
The School of Human Kinetics and Recreation held its annual Academic Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 22. Nearly 80 people attended, including many family members who came out to show their pride for some star students and graduates from 2011-2012.
Masters student wins RDC award
Masters student David Bradbury Squires has just won an Ocean Industries Student Research Award. David has been part of the School of HKR since 2008.
The making of a firefighter
No one imagines the job of a firefighter as being an easy one. But what they go through to qualify as a firefighter is no easy task either. Potential candidates have to pass a grueling physical fitness evaluation that leaves them exhausted, sweating and sometimes even vomiting from the exertion.Recently, HKR's Allied Health Services (AHS) was asked to perform these tests for the upcoming recruitment round of the St. John's Regional Fire Department (SJRFD).
Air gun athletes gather at Memorial to prepare for 2015 Canada Games
HKR hosted the fourth annual North Atlantic Air Gun Challenge (NAAGC) from Oct. 5-7. The Atlantic Canada Regional Championship brought 24 athletes to Memorial who are preparing for the 2015 Canada Games.
HKR professor joins explorers to take on the Churchill River
Dr. TA Loeffler joined a group of Memorial employees and retirees to do what may be one of their last expeditions on the Churchill River. They canoed from Churchill Falls to Muskrat Falls, a distance of nearly 300 kms. It was a quick trip with lots of excitement packed into 11 July days.
HKR alumnae returns to Memorial to teach
Dr. Erin McGowan has just returned to the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR); this time as an assistant professor of sport, exercise and health psychology.
New interim dean plans to keep HKR on track
"Many academics might shy away from administrative positions because it can impact upon teaching and research paths, but I've been fortunate to have accomplished many of my goals since arriving here 10 years ago. So I think it's time that I stepped up."
Dr. Scott MacKinnon has been appointed acting dean of Memorial's School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR).
HKR professor takes teachable moments to a whole new level
Dr. TA Loeffler has just come back from the Arctic - that's two summits in six months for the adventurer and outdoor educator. Here she describes her latest expedition and describes how she brought some elementary children with her this time.
Deans from across Canada visit Memorial
Twenty-six delegates visited St. John's and Memorial recently. Deans of physical education and kinesiology schools were here for the Canadian Council of University Physical Education and Kinesiology Administrators (CCUPEKA) annual conference.
Volunteer extraordinaire: HKR student gets some high praise
For HKR student Laura Chubb, volunteering is just part of who she is; it has shaped her personality since she was a teenager and has defined her educational experience here at MUN. Getting a mention in the House of Commons for that volunteer work was something she didn't expect and it has fueled her passion to do even more.
Unique conference targets women and recreation
Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) hosted a unique conference recently. Lead Active; Women Taking Action, which took place from May 4-5, is a conference specifically designed for people interested in physical activity, recreation and sport targeting women. It's the first time the conference has happened in a few decades.
Check out HKR on The Daily Planet:
http://www.discoverychannel.ca/Showpage.aspx?sid=13287
Kin student proves to be an 'exemplary' worker
The School of Human Kinetics and Recreation's recipient of the Director of Co-operative Education's Award for Exemplary Work Term is Chelsea Harris. Chelsea is a kinesiology student who completed work term two (Winter 2011) with Dr. Michelle Ploughman as a research assistant, where she recruited and conducted in-depth interviews with Multiple Sclerosis patients regarding the controversial Zamboni procedure.
HKR student headed to national cheerleading competition
Kinesiology student (and soon to be graduate) Laura Hurley is the first Newfoundlander named to the Canadian Cheerleading Team.
HKR students awarded for their volunteer work
Two HKR students were awarded for their volunteering recently during the Volunteer Incentive Program (V.I.P.) awards ceremony. In fact, for one student, this has nearly completed her collection of all three levels of the V.I.P. awards: bronze, silver and gold.
Get a move on
New program aims to help employees get in shape
Determined to live better and get fit? Always wanted to learn how to make some healthy lifestyle changes? If you answered yes, the Department of Human Resources (HR) and the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) have teamed up to help you jump start a health and fitness routine.
Researching outside the box
A lot of people decide their fate at a very young age vowing to themselves 'Hey, I'm
going to do that', and truly believing that life will just pan out that way. How many people actually follow through on those dreams after life's twists and turns? Laura Chubb did. The masters student in kinesiology recently returned from Kenya where she was doing research on women and HIV; something she'd dreamed about doing before she was old enough to drive. Read more about Laura's experience.
Two B.Kin. students get scholarships they say helped get them through
Labrador-Grenfell Health recently announced that Lorna Roberts of Quirpon and Victoria Forsey of Happy Valley-Goose Bay received Grimes-Weld Scholarships worth $2,000 each.
Pie a prof (for a good cause, of course)The PE lobby was packed with students as seven brave faculty showed up on Wednesday, Jan. 25 to have pie thrown in their faces for a good cause.
See more pictures!
Local junior high students get a lesson from future phys ed teachers
Teaching territorial games and dance moves are not the first things that come to mind when you think about a university education. But recently, that's just what some Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) students did at a local junior high school.
Researchers show shivering can save your life
According to Dr. Fabien Basset, a mass rescue in the Arctic could take five to seven days depending on weather conditions. With increased tourism and research in these icy waters, what are the chances people would survive an accident?
Read more about Dr. Fabien Basset's research.
Physical Education building gets a make over
The pride was obvious on the faces of Mike Foley and Jason Adams as they listened to speakers at the opening of a new lecture theatre recently.
On Sept. 16, the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) officially opened a brand new theatre in the Physical Education building. But not just new - it is state of the art and looks like nothing else on campus.
50 years within these walls
More than 100 alumni came together in September to celebrate a building that has been a gathering place for thousands of students over the years. The Physical Education building turns 50 this year and to celebrate, the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation held a banquet for alumni to reunite and reminisce about their memories of the building.
HKR student gets a leg up
When Natasha Fleet found out she'd won a scholarship to follow her dream she was a little more than shocked. Fleet recently discovered she received $15,000 through the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program to do her masters of physiotherapy at Queens University.
Got friluftsliv?
An international audience heard from one of Newfoundland's best known mountaineers on our province's sense of place and our intense connection between culture and landscape. Dr. TA Loeffler presented Between a Rock and A Hard Place: Outdoor Education in Newfoundland at the 5th International Outdoor Education Research Conference recently.
Exergaming: How technology can get us moving again
Drs. Linda Rohr and Jeannette Byrne are delving into the world of exergaming. Read more about how games like Wii Fit could be the answer to our obesity problem.
HKR gets first time accreditation
HKR has received official accreditation for two of its programs for the first time in its history.
National award for HKR student
A new graduate of the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) has been honoured with a national award. Read more...
Dr. David Behm has a map outside his office with several different coloured pins in it spreading across the globe. It's a record of the international and national collaborations that researchers in Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR) have taken part in, and includes Turkey, Tunisia and Hong Kong, just to name a few.
Activity from anywhere: Master's in physical education online program receives national award
Most might think it's impossible to complete a physical education degree online, but Memorial University has proven the opposite, creating Canada's first fully online Masters in Physical Education (MPE).
Life-changing experience
Six Memorial students have had a life-changing experience. Charlotte Allison, Jason Boutilier, Kayla Hemmens, Cassandra McLean, Rachel Peveril, and Timothy Williams are all students in Human Kinetics and Recreation. But that's not all they have in common.
Cold hands could mean life or death
Scott MacKinnon likes to push people to the limit. Some of his research involves inducing motion sickness and dunking volunteers into cold water to see if they can perform safety and survival tasks – all in the name of science.
Massaging your way to better health
Improving your health with massage dates back to early civilization and more recently has been used to prevent sport injuries. Massage has also been used as part of exercise warm up to help increase flexibility. But, people don't always take the time to warm up before we exercise and not a lot of studies have been done on the physiological benefits and mechanisms of massage.