Message from the Dean

The academic year of 2022-2023 for the Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health was once again a very rewarding one in terms of our scholarly activities. The gradual return to normal activity on our campus in the Spring term allowed us to maintain our usual high standards for in-person teaching. We are proud of our programs in the Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health, both of which are accredited by external bodies. Our Bachelor of Kinesiology program is accredited by the Canadian Council of University Physical Education and Kinesiology Administrators (CCUPEKA). The University of Winnipeg Athletic Therapy program has been accredited since 1999 by the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA).

Our highly successful KINect week took place from October 24 to October 28 which showcased the outstanding scholarship of the professors in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Health. I had the pleasure of attending this event which featured two excellent keynote speakers: Dr. Valerie Carson (University of Alberta) who gave a presentation entitled “Full Circle: My Academic Journey in Promoting Healthy Movement among Children” and our own Dr. Yannick Molgat-Seon who gave a presentation entitled “Exploring how sex and gender influence the mechanical ventilatory and sensory responses to exercise in humans.”

In terms of research and scholarship, our researchers continued to have success and it is worth mentioning a few of the highlights. In May last year, Dr. Yannick Molgat-Seon was awarded the Chancellor's Research Chair for his work in understanding the causes of shortness of breath, or dyspnoea, which is experienced by approximately 25 percent of the general population during activities of daily living. In addition, Research Manitoba (Natural Sciences and Engineering) awarded Dr. Molgat-Seon a 2022 New Investigator Operating Grant (2 year $50,000) for his project, “Determining the Effect of Sex-Differences in Respiratory System Morphology on Respiratory Muscle Function in Humans.” Dr. Glen Bergeron was part of a team of researchers from across Canada who were awarded a prestigious Canada Institute of Health Research grant this year. This 4-year project entitled “A Canadian integrated platform for injury and concussion prevention” will establish an injury epidemiology collection system among university athletic programs.

This year, the Departmental Awards Recognition Night for Kinesiology and Applied Health students took place on January 27. This event was held in Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall to accommodate the large turnout of parents, faculty, and students. Congratulations to all of our student award winners and a sincere thanks to Valerie Pelleck for organizing this memorable event (including snacks), which were very much appreciated by all of the attendees (especially Tessa and Henry). A special thank you to Jessica Diamond for taking the time out of her evening to join us for this event. Finally, it is with great pleasure that I acknowledge a Wesmen Athlete from our Faculty who was honoured nationally. Emma Parker (BPHE 3-Yr in Physical and Health Education) received her first all-Canadian honour and was named by U Sports as a second-team all-star at the national awards ceremony at the University of British Columbia in March.

The end of winter term heralded the arrival of KINgames at the University of Winnipeg. This three-day event took place from March 24 to March 26 and is the largest of its kind that is organized by undergraduate Kinesiology students. A total of sixteen Universities competed in four categories: Academics, Dance, Athletics and Spirit. Based on my observations, there was no shortage of spirit at KINgames. Congratulations to Isabelle Ruzic (BPHE 3-Yr Physical and Health Education) and her team (Maz Brisha, Courtney Grace, Naomi Ruzic, Ryan Otsuka, Mac Prince and Miggy Martinez) for all their hard work in organizing this successful event.

Overall, the Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health had a very successful year and I will take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Dr. Danielle Defries for her continued hard work as Department Chair for Kinesiology and Applied Health. Finally, I would like to extend a most sincere thanks for the much-appreciated administrative support provided by Sandra Wiebe, Laura Boyle, Jenna Russell and Rebecca Stephenson.

Douglas Goltz
Acting Dean,

Gupta Faculty of Kinesiology and Applied Health