Teaching Facilities

Our department is fortunate to have an entire building on campus dedicated to providing space for our students to put theory into practice. Anderson Hall is a multi-purpose facility containing two large gymnasiums and several general activity areas; swimming pool; weight room; dance studio; five SMART classrooms; human anatomy lab staffed by the Department of Biology; and faculty and staff offices. Outdoor learning spaces includes several tennis courts, two softball diamonds and open fields for soccer and football. In addition to the Anderson Hall facility, KNPE also possesses a Sport Performance Laboratory in Gabel Hall and uses classrooms in DuSable Hall and the Chick Evans Fieldhouse.

Laboratories

KNPE faculty and students have the opportunity to further their teaching and research with laboratory space and equipment on par with many of the top programs in the world. Here is a brief overview of each of our lab spaces:

Joan Popp Motor Behavior Laboratory

KNPE's newest lab is a state-of-the-art space renovated using a generous gift from former KNPE Professor Dr. M. Joan Popp. The Popp Lab, which is the first named laboratory in NIU's College of Education, is home to lab sections associated with KNPE biomechanics, measurement and motor control classes, allowing small groups of students to apply what they have learned from faculty utilizing a large-screen display monitor. Laboratory equipment used in research and teaching includes a Zeno walkway gait analysis system, BIOPAC electroencephalography (EEG) system, motion capture technology, Biodex balance system and a force platform. Take a virtual tour.

Exercise Physiology Laboratory

As the primary home to KNPE's exercise physiology lab sections and a variety of research projects, it contains treadmills and stationary bikes as well as testing equipment for submaximal and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), electrocardiogram (ECG), resting metabolic rate, and Wingate anaerobic power. See this lab in action

Body Composition Laboratory

KNPE's Body Comp Lab includes leading equipment for research and teaching related to measures of body composition. NIU is one of a very small number of peer institutions which utilizes a Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry, or DEXA, scanner in its kinesiology laboratories. The lab also contains a Bod Pod chamber, which measures body composition through air displacement, and an InBody analyzer, which measures body composition through electrical current. View a video of this lab.

Neuromuscular Laboratory

The Neuromuscular Lab is used by KNPE students and faculty for research and teaching purposes. The lab includes an underwater weighing tank, as well as a HUMAC NORM isokinetic extremity system used for measuring force throughout a joint range of motion.

Fitness Laboratory

The Fit Room/Lab in Anderson Hall is used in teaching, research and, in collaboration with NIU Recreation and Wellness, as a fitness facility. This fitness space contains a variety of equipment for cardio and weight training.

Sport Performance Laboratory (Gabel Hall)

Located across campus in Gabel Hall, KNPE's Sport Performance Lab provides a classroom and weight room under one roof, allowing students to learn sport performance content and immediately apply what they have learned in the weight room portion of the facility. The Sport Performance Lab typifies the hands-on application of learning found throughout KNPE's academic programs. Check out this space.

Athletic Training Laboratory

The Anderson Hall Athletic Training Room is operated in collaboration with the Sports Medicine Team from NIU Athletics. The lab contains evaluation tables, cold tubs, and state of the art therapeutic modalities, including ultrasound, light therapy, and electrical stimulation. The Athletic Training Program also utilizes a SimMan mannequin for simulating healthcare and emergency scenarios.

Contact Us

Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education
Anderson Hall 221
DeKalb, IL 60115
P: 815-753-1407
F: 815-753-1413
knpe@niu.edu

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