The Department of Kinesiology, led by a proud legacy of Spartans, celebrates 125 years — and counting — of supporting health and well-being
By Marco Schimizzi & Lauren Knapp
What comes to mind when you think of MSU?
Perhaps it is the name Michigan State University or Spartans. Maybe it is a campus landmark, such as Beaumont Tower or the “Victory for MSU” fight song.
And yet, one department is older than these iconic parts of our university: the Department of Kinesiology.
When it was established in 1899, there were dirt roads on campus. It would be another 26 years before we became known as the Spartans (1925), and another 65 before the Michigan Agricultural College became Michigan State University. The “MSU Fight Song” (renamed “Victory for MSU” in 2015) was first published in 1915, and Beaumont Tower was built in 1928.
The department has built a legacy (and a trajectory) of accomplished Spartans, a wealth of notable milestones and a commitment to shaping the future of human movement science — made possible, as it has been for more than a century, by Spartans.
Black and white photos courtesy of Michigan State University Historical Archives and Collections. Color photos include scenes and Spartans from the last 10 years.
Muscling through a century
It is impossible to capture the depth of growth, ideation and impact of 125 years in one magazine article.
The book documents informational and influential moments throughout history — such as the fact that the first-ever faculty member, Rev. Charles O. Bemie, was also the only department member, or that IM Sports Circle (as it is known today) was initially called the gymnasium. When it opened in May 1918, the building had the “largest gymnasium floor in the state.”
Further details include the department’s nine name changes, the creation of the Human Energy Research Laboratory and the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports (both are still active today) and reflections from alums. It explores how the department originated and continued as an effort to improve students’ health and well-being and how it became a beacon of research and outreach that now impacts individuals across the state, nation and world.
Such work has been highlighted in recent issues of the New Educator, including the incredible story of the decades-long Spartan Motor Performance Study.
The last quarter-century, driven by Spartans
It is also impossible for one article to feature every extraordinary individual who has driven or experienced the department’s progress or gone on to achieve great things.
The success of our alums gives a glimpse into how the MSU experience can shape education, health and well-being beyond earning a degree.
“The most impactful course I took was [one in] kinesiology — it was the hardest course I took, but I learned an awful lot and completing it was one of the most rewarding experiences,” said Jimmy Raye. Raye graduated with a bachelor’s in Physical Education in 1971 and was MSU’s first Black quarterback. In 2024, the 1965 and 1966 Spartan football teams were inducted into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment on the field as a Spartan was leading the team to a Rose Bowl victory and a national championship in 1966.
Jimmy Raye (left) and legendary Spartan football coach Duffy Daugherty (right). Photo courtesy of Michigan State University Historical Archives and Collections.
Though the department is not directly affiliated with MSU Athletics, many crossovers exist between students, alums and faculty.
“My degree from MSU gave me an opportunity to pursue my dream in coaching, and I will always be eternally grateful for the opportunity that has afforded me and the longevity that I had as a college coach and a professional football coach for 38 years,” Raye said. “It all leads back to the MSU College of Education.”
On campus, Ph.D. alum Marita Gilbert leads equity efforts as the associate dean of diversity and campus inclusion at the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Previously, Gilbert was the dean for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Excellence at Juniata College.
As MSU’s director of sports sciences, three-time alum Bill Burghardt oversees coaches, trainers and sports medicine professionals in optimizing athlete performance through advanced data, technology and exercise science.
Two-time alum Piotr Pasik founded MSU’s Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club. The initiative has transformed into a robust program, still led by Pasik, who lives with cerebral palsy. The club offers extensive sports programming for individuals with disabilities. It has welcomed over 200 athletes and nearly 1,000 volunteers and secured substantial grant funding to support its mission.
Pasik (top middle, wearing glasses and seated in green wheelchair) and MSU’s wheelchair floorball team were profiled in the 2022 New Educator magazine.
Ph.D. alum Lucas Capaldo is a multi-award-winning youth soccer coach who guest lectures across the globe. In 2017, he delivered a TEDx Talk, “Soccer and Life Skills.”
In 2023, Ph.D. alum Sian Beilock became the first female president in Dartmouth College’s history. With over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers, she is a leading scholar in understanding how stress and anxiety affect performance. The MSU Alumni Office highlighted her research in 2023.
Home to movers and shakers in the field
Our faculty have also continued this legacy of leadership, with several having been named Fellows of the National Academy of Kinesiology, a top honor for kinesiology scholars.
One of those Spartans is Professor Tracey Covassin, who stands at the forefront of concussion research. Her contributions have shaped the future of identifying gender differences in concussion outcomes. Her work has been cited more than 10,000 times and includes more than 145 manuscripts and several book chapters in journals and publications related to sports medicine, neurology and psychology.
The Department of Kinesiology has not only shaped my academic journey but has also propelled my professional success.
– National Academy of Kinesiology Fellow Tracey Covassin
Professor and Director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports (ISYS) Karin Pfeiffer is a nationally recognized leader in the field and a National Academy of Kinesiology member. Pfeiffer, a two-time MSU Kinesiology alum, has served as the president of the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine and held a seat on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Science Board.
She carries on a legacy forged by former ISYS Director and Professor Emeritus Dan Gould, who was inducted into the International Society for Sports Psychology Hall of Fame in 2023.
Pfeiffer (left) pictured with Professor Emeritus Dan Gould.
In the same year, Associate Professor David Ferguson became the first ever to receive an exercise physiology-related grant from NASCAR. The grant will address the growing concerns of heat exhaustion a race car driver may experience during competition. Ferguson’s research also examines how malnutrition early in life increases adult cardiovascular disease risk.
Also in 2023, Associate Professor Spyridoula Vazou became the first U.S. researcher to receive a grant from the second largest chocolate producer in the world, Kinder Ferrero. The grant funds a youth summer program incorporating learning with physical activity for students of underserved communities. At time of printing, 20 youth camps across two states were participating in the project.
Assistant Professor Katharine Currie received a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to explore whether exercising at specific times of day can improve nocturnal blood pressure in older adults with hypertension. The innovative scholarly work — which also features scholars from three MSU colleges — looks to enhance cardiovascular health for adults through personalized exercise prescriptions, similar to how medicine is prescribed.
These examples illustrate just some of the most recent research and leadership progress over the last quarter-century, which has positioned the college to meet the needs of a growing field.
Internationally recognized exercise physiologist and Chairperson Paddy Ekkekakis joined the department in 2022. He believes the timing is optimal.
“Our department has been dominant in areas like motor development and sport psychology. As we look to the future, we must invest in strengthening our presence in areas like exercise physiology, biomechanics, neuroscience and others,” Ekkekakis said. “In the next decade, we must add expertise in cutting-edge directions from cancer biology to dementia to exoskeleton design while maintaining our interdisciplinarity.”
Moving Forward: Spartans will define the future of kinesiology
Excitement continues to build.
In 2023, our Ph.D. programjumped 12 spots in the National Academy of Kinesiology rankings, improving its position to #11 nationwide.
The department recently hired four tenure-stream faculty members (at time of publishing), the most in recent years, one of whom you may recognize.
MSU’s 22nd President Kevin Guskiewicz is a world-renowned neuroscientist and concussion researcher. President Guskiewicz, who assumed his leadership role in 2024, also hopes to teach a kinesiology course and continue his research.
MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz stands in IM Sports Circle, home of the Department of Kinesiology.
The student population is also rising and is expected to surpass 2,000 undergraduates by 2025, making it one of the largest undergraduate majors on campus. These future kinesiologists can continue to have the opportunity to engage in groundbreaking research at one or more of the department’s 14 research labs. Several students have won awards for their research excellence at the annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum.
All this is to say, our future is as dynamic and promising as our treasured past.
Spartans will continue to drive the department’s legacy forward through their innovative approach, supported by visionary leadership and investment from MSU.
Here’s to the next 125 years.
Chair and Professor Paddy Ekkekakis (standing, left) talks to a class of first-year students studying Kinesiology in 2024.
