Oct. 27, 2025 | Kim Graber Dear Alumni and Friends, Now that fall 2025 is underway, I’m excited to share some of the exciting stories from the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Each newsletter reminds me of how fortunate I am to work alongside such passionate faculty, students and alumni who are making a real […]
Category: Interdisciplinary Health
Pedro Hallal honored with King James McCristal Distinguished Scholar award
Sept. 25, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Pedro Hallal has built an international reputation for his research on physical inactivity Like many young researchers, Pedro Hallal thought his first study would be groundbreaking and potentially change the paradigm of the study of physical activity. Ultimately, he said, it didn’t, but now, with the value of experience […]
From Mayo Clinic to Urbana-Champaign
May 22, 2025 | Anna Flanagan In addition to their professional experience, Gabrielle Dillon and Jack Senefeld share research interests When Gabrielle Dillon joined the Department of Health and Kinesiology in the College of Applied Health Sciences last fall, she was greeted by a familiar face. She and Jack Senefeld, who had joined HK in fall 2023, had briefly overlapped […]
Study shows smart home technology to be beneficial for aging in place
May 22, 2025 | Jonathan King Mobility disabilities, defined as a “serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs,” affect approximately 21 percent of adults 65 years of age and older Saul Morse believes his wife might not have survived a recent health episode without assistive technology. “Had it not been for our voice-activated digital home assistant, […]
Wolff brings hands-on approach to musculoskeletal anatomy course
May 22, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Many students majoring in HK want to pursue careers in occupational therapy, physical therapy and athletic training Whitney Wolff had just completed a semester as an assistant professor at tiny Lakeland University in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, when the opportunity to work at an R1 university arose. Wolff, who earned her Ph.D. […]
Can a special diet promote children’s focus?
May 22, 2025 | Ethan Simmons HK researchers found that the school children who more closely adhered to a special diet showed better control over their attention A diet rich in fiber and antioxidants, low in fat and full of colorful berries and vegetables has shown a strong connection to slowed cognitive decline in older […]
A passion for teaching
May 22, 2025 | Anna Flanagan Responsibility for teaching many courses offered by the department is also borne by another group of highly qualified individuals known as specialized faculty Like the University of Illinois and the College of Applied Health Sciences, the Department of Health and Kinesiology pursues a three-pronged mission of leadership in research, teaching and […]
HK spring 2025 department head message
May 21, 2025 Hello, Health and Kinesiology family, Welcome to the spring 2025 edition of our newsletter! This marks our first spring semester under our new department name, officially changed last August. We have exciting updates to share and plenty to celebrate. Inside, you’ll learn about the importance of specialized faculty, how digital-voice assistants support […]
AHS students present diverse projects for Undergrad Research Week
May 01, 2024 | Ethan Simmons Students, faculty and staff got a taste of the findings from AHS’ budding student researchers during the AHS Undergraduate Research Expo For a freshman at the College of Applied Health Sciences, Saiesha Bollapragada’s research portfolio is impressive. At last week’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, the I-Health major got to present […]
Kraay: NPIs, Boosters work to battle COVID-19
Oct. 22, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo Alicia Kraay’s study shows getting vaccine boosters and using non-pharmaceutical interventions can reduce cumulative deaths from COVID-19. In a recent publication, Kinesiology and Community Health assistant professor Alicia Kraay and her collaborators write that combining boosters and non-pharmaceutical interventions results in a 30 percent decrease in cumulative deaths due to COVID-19, […]