Louisiana Tech’s department of health and exercise sciences will soon become the department of kinesiology.

The name change will be effective Sept. 1.

Dr. Lanie Dornier, department chair, said the name change will occur in order to be consistent with other kinesiology programs in the University of Louisiana System and across the country. Nothing in the department will change, though, other than degrees in health and exercise science will now be called kinesiology.

‘Kinesiology departments have changed names over the years, and they are hard to locate at universities,’ Dornier said. ‘This is part of a national movement to get a common name for kinesiology.’

According to the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education, kinesiology, the study of movement, is an interdisciplinary field of study that encompasses theory and practice of movement.

The field has become a ‘hot area,’ Dornier said. In fall 2006, there were 318 undergraduates and 24 graduate students registered at Tech for the program, and last fall the program had 342 undergraduates and 24 graduate students.

‘The program is definitely growing,’ Dornier said. ‘It’s becoming a very popular field because of the way fitness has gone. Our graduates work in clinics, with rehabilitation and sports, or they can teach physical education.’

For more information on the department, click here.

Written by Judith Roberts