Greetings from NIU and the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education! We hope this newsletter finds you well.
There are countless great things occurring in KNPE, and we are long overdue in telling you about them. In fact, we believe it has been more than 10 years since our department published any sort of newsletter to communicate with our alumni and friends. We apologize for this lack of communication, but are committed to better sharing information with you in the future.
Despite facing state budget challenges, this is an exciting chapter for KNPE.
We have a number of fresh faces on our faculty and staff, and this group has really come together as a cohesive team. We’re providing strong instruction both inside and outside the classroom to more than 600 majors, making KNPE one of the largest departments at NIU. Our level of research productivity continues to blossom to new heights.
In this newsletter, you’ll read about many of these accomplishments and new initiatives, including our increasing international presence. We also are hard at work developing new academic programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels that will help in continuing to grow and flourish in the coming years.
You might also recognize new leadership in the department and college.
Dean Laurie Elish-Piper and I both began our new roles on July 1, 2015, with Dean Elish-Piper serving as acting dean last year prior to being appointed dean in the summer 2016. Dean Elish-Piper has been a strong advocate and supporter of our programs and initiatives during these past two years.
For me, it is a great honor to be entrusted with leadership of KNPE. Thanks to all that have made me feel welcome, and for your continued support of our programs, our students and our faculty and staff. If you are able to support our programs financially, please consider designating a gift to KNPE. Please also stay in touch with us online, and feel free to reach out to me anytime at cmcevoy@niu.edu.
Best Regards,
Chad McEvoy, Professor and Chair
NIU Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education
