MA in Kinesiology

Program Highlights

The Graduate Program in Kinesiology has a distinguished 50-year history at California State University, Chico. Kinesiology is a vibrant graduate program that provides a high quality learning environment, serving northern California and beyond. Our graduates fill the need for teachers, coaches, health professionals, and community recreation leaders. Recent graduates have gone on to medical schools, physician assistant programs, physical therapy programs, occupational health programs, and prestigious PhD granting universities. This self-study report presents strong evidence to illustrate the ongoing commitment of our faculty in the Department of Kinesiology to providing graduate students with the best possible experience and professional training. The graduate program is an essential part of the Kinesiology Department and serves a vital need in the North State.

The Department of Kinesiology is a member of the American Kinesiology Association whose mission is to promote and enhance kinesiology as a unified field of study and advance its many applications. AKA does this by advocating for kinesiology at national and international levels as well as by supporting its member departments by providing resource materials and leadership and educational opportunities for university administrators in kinesiology.

Kinesiology Master's of Arts Graduating Class

Kinesiology Masters of Arts Graduating Class

Student and Faculty Awards

Students and Faculty in the Kinesiology Master of Arts Program have been recipients of many awards. Recently, Brian Ellis received the Lt. Robert Merton Rawlins Merit Award, and Dr. Cathrine Himberg won the Outstanding Faculty Award.

Brian Ellis: Rawlins Merit Award Recipient

College of Communication & Education
MS: Kinesiology, Class of 2016
BS: Exercise Physiology, Class of 2014

Nominated by: Kevin Patton

Brian is a graduate student pursuing his master's degree in kinesiology. During his time on campus, Brian started the collegiate disc golf team and for three years in a row qualified to participate at the National Collegiate Disc Golf Championships in North Augusta, South Carolina. He also served as the kinesiology physical activity instructor and the event planner for the Wildcat Strength and Conditioning Club. In addition to his extensive extracurricular activities, Brian has also maintained excellent academic standing. Brian's aspiration is to enroll into a doctorate program after graduating from CSU, Chico.

Cathrine Himberg: Outstanding Professor

Kinesiology Professor Cathrine Himberg's 2014 advocacy film "No Excuses" delivers a bold message to policy makers and school officials: Implementing quality K-12 physical education in this country should be a major priority. The documentary is so persuasive that First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move! Active Schools" campaign is using it to promote children's health.

Himberg's contributions to her field are astounding. As coordinator of CSU, Chico's Physical Education Teacher Education Program since 2000, she has advised thousands of budding teachers. An advocate for quality physical education, she founded the Center for Advancement of Standards-based Physical Education Reform (CASPER) and the website www.supportREALteachers.org, which is used by teachers around the globe as a curriculum resource. CASPER's early advocacy efforts resulted in national media attention and a National Association for Sport and Physical Education Presidential Citation in 2005.

KINE Physical Teacher Education MA student, Xiaoping Fan, accepts assistantship to University of Northern Colorado PhD program in Sport Pedagogy (Spring 2018).

Dr. Newland, Ping Fan, Drs. Lee, Mache & Braga

The 93rd Annual WSPECW Conference (Pacific Grove, California November 17-19, 2017); Dr. Newland - Emerging Professional Award; Ping Fan - President's Educational Equity Scholarship (with Drs. Lee, Mache & Braga).

Selected Recent Kinesiology MA Graduates - Current Employment

2015

Negin Razi – Doctoral Student – Community Health/Pedagogy – University of British Columbia
Jenny Barker – Doctoral Student - Exercise Physiology – Arizona State University
John Brunk – CSU Chico Assistant Women's Track & Field Coach (High Jump, Multi Events)
Becka Shaver - Corps Member at Teach for America; Los Angeles, CA
Maria Woodruff - Strength and Conditioning Coach; Sierra Strength and Speed; Reno, NV
Elissa Bestreich – APE Specialist – Roslyn Union School District – Roslyn, NY
Sean Brown – Kinesiologist – Shriner’s Hospital for Children Northern California, Sacramento, CA
Scott Light – Performance Specialist – EXOS (Athletes’ Performance and Core Performance – Portland, OR
Kristi Dunn – Athletic Trainer – Central Valley High School – Corvallis, OR

2014

Scott Amick – General Manager – Fresh-Local-Healthy – Chico, CA
Kayla Sowinski - Coach – Sparta Science – Strength and Conditioning – Menlo Park, CA.
Amanda Clifford - Health Fitness Specialist - Google; Mountain View, CA
JaNae McLaughlin – Part Time Faculty – CSU Chico – Kinesiology
Konrad Dahl - Strength coach/personal trainer In-Shape Health Club; Napa CA
Celeste Harrington – Fitness Specialist – Apple; Cupertino, CA
Christopher Kokoll - Director of Sports Performance at AthletiCare; Las Vegas, Nevada
Emily Schaefer – Assistant Coach Notre Dame de Namur Univ. Women's Basketball – Belmont, CA
Zachery Wales - Instructor and Track & Field Throws Coach; Cuesta College – San Luis Obispo, CA
Kyler Leventin – Fitness Manager – 24 Hour Fitness – San Diego, CA.
Sara Marcia – Special Education Teacher – Marin County School District

2013

Jennifer Ogren – Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach – University of South Dakota
Zook Richardson – Pitching Coach - Shasta College Baseball Team
Nicole Crowe – Adapted Physical Education – Livermore Joint Unified School District
Kavan Shah – Physical Therapist – Victorville, CA.
Eric Wright – Track and Field Throws Coach – College of the Redwoods; Eureka, CA
Matt Wahlund - Surgical Device Consultant at Pacific Medical, Inc. Bend Oregon.
Elisabeth Schirmers – Rhythmix Dance Company, Chico, CA.

2012

Brian Beeman – Associate Head Coach Track and Field – Colorado Mesa Univ. – Grand Junction, CO
Julio Jimenez – Head Coach – Cross Country – Long Beach City College
Daniel Louie – Owner/Strength and Conditioning Coach – DL Fitness – San Francisco, CA
Garrett Rieck - Adjunct Faculty and Asst. Baseball Coach at Los Angeles Valley College
Krista Winkler – Learning Specialist at Robert Louis Stevenson School; Pebble Beach, CA
Cameron Kisst – Adjunct Faculty Instructor; Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts. San Mateo, CA.

2011

Martin Frigaard - Data Scientist – Kidney Health Research Collaborative; UCSF Nephrology – Department of Medicine
Matt Quijano MA, ATC Head Athletic Trainer: Arroyo Grande High School, Arroyo Grande, CA
Patrick Cottini – Director of Operations – Chico Community Wheelchair Sports/Recreation Program
Matthew Schubert – Assistant Professor-Dept. of Kinesiology - Auburn University Montgomery, AL