About Us
Welcome to the Department of Kinesiology at Arizona State University
Thank you for visiting our Web site. We are pleased to share information about the programs and people that represent the department and the many opportunities available for undergraduate and graduate students. Please visit our graduate and undergraduate program sites for information about our academic programs.
What is Kinesiology? Kinesiology is the study of all of the body’s organ systems in response to movement, muscle contraction or exercise and exercise training. Kinesiology involves research into the control of movement by the central nervous system (CNS), including how the CNS develops (motor behavior), the molecular, biochemical and physiological responses of all the body’s organ systems to exercise and exercise training (exercise physiology), and the interaction of the mind and body related to health and exercise (exercise/health psychology).
Kinesiology is NOT a discipline emphasizing personal training, fitness instruction, strength and conditioning coaching, health promotion,
wellness, spa management, team sport coaching, athletic or physical education. See the following links for information on programs
that emphasize these disciplines:
http://www.poly.asu.edu/saas/wellness
http://ctel.asu.edu/
The Department of Kinesiology has undergone many changes since it joined the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This transformation involves a significant realignment of our mission. This realignment is consistent with the transformation of Arizona State University into a research institution with important components of both graduate and undergraduate education. The mission of the Department of Kinesiology is:
1. To promote the creation of new knowledge of how all of the organ systems of the human body
respond to movement, exercise or muscle contraction, or exercise training.
2. To use this new knowledge to create an invigorating learning environment for undergraduate and
graduate students.
3. To provide a thorough education and research to better the health of society.
Research
There is a strong interdisciplinary research emphasis on the ASU campus, and the kinesiology department is no exception. Faculty in the department collaborate with faculty from bioengineering, the School of Life Sciences, chemistry and biochemistry, and the Biodesign Institute. Within the Phoenix metropolitan area, other collaborations include those at the Carl Hayden Veteran's Administration Hospital, BannerHealth, Barrow Neurological Institute and the Mayo Clinic. In addition, many of the faculty have active collaboration with other researchers in the U.S. and the international community.
The Learning Experience and Teaching
The commitment to excellence in learning and teaching extends from undergraduates to exemplary graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and from freshman advisement to graduate mentoring. The emphasis on research provides numerous opportunities for students at all levels to learn in the laboratory; and cutting edge knowledge produced by our faculty is translated directly into an enhanced learning environment. The department recognizes annually outstanding students with a series of awards.
The Faculty
The department is committed to a faculty who are nationally and internationally recognized and honored for the creation of scientific knowledge. We invite you to visit the Web pages of the individual faculty members to learn more about their research and teaching activities.
