Penny Werthner reappointed dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology

I am pleased to announce that Penny Werthner has been reappointed as dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary, for a six-year term effective July 1, 2016.

In February of this year, Werthner indicated her interest to be considered for reappointment. An advisory decanal review committee was then established to consider her performance during her first term and the appropriateness of her reappointment. The committee invited and reviewed commentary from those within the faculty and from the external community. Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide input. The committee also interviewed Dr. Werthner. Following the process, the committee recommended renewal, and President Elizabeth Cannon was pleased to accept that recommendation.

Werthner was first appointed dean in the Faculty of Kinesiology on November 1, 2012. Prior to joining the University of Calgary, Werthner spent 12 years at the University of Ottawa, and was director and associate dean of the School of Human Kinetics from 2011-2012. Werthner earned her BA from McMaster University and her MSc and PhD from the University of Ottawa. She has more than 30 years of distinguished experience in sport psychology consulting, including serving as a sport psychology adviser for the Canadian Olympic Committee at Olympic Games in 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, and 2012 in London.

In her first term as dean, one of Werthner’s undertakings was an undergraduate curriculum review in the Faculty of Kinesiology, which was concluded in May of 2014. The new curriculum took effect in September of 2015 and provides students with the opportunity to receive more in-depth training and experiential learning opportunities. Under Werthner’s leadership the Masters of Kinesiology program was reinstated in 2014.

Werthner led the development of the Faculty of Kinesiology’s Strategic Plan, 2013-2018, which was also approved in May 2014. The plan articulates a vision for the Faculty to be an international leader in the study and advancement of human movement, sport, health, and wellness, guided by the core values of integrity, excellence, and respect.

The Faculty of Kinesiology has also experienced significant growth under Werthner’s guidance with eight new academic faculty members hired as of July 2016. The number of Masters and PhD students has grown from 46 to 64 and the faculty is also currently home to 27 Post-Doctoral Fellows.

Recognizing the unique opportunities offered through an integrated Faculty, Werthner has continued to strengthen the linkages between the academic programs and various business units within the Faculty of Kinesiology: Active Living, the Outdoor Centre, Dinos Athletics, the Olympic Oval and the Sport Medicine Centre. Werthner has facilitated relationships among these units, ensuring they collectively contribute towards advancing research and scholarship, and towards the Eyes High goal of furthering connections between the university and the larger community. To this end, Werthner also restructured her leadership team. Further work on the integrated model within the faculty will be a key goal in Dr. Werthner’s next term.

In addition to her work as Dean, Werthner serves on the editorial board of the International Sport Coaching Journal, and she is also the current President of the Canadian Council of University Physical Education and Kinesiology Administrators (CCUPEKA). She also continues to pursue her own research on the application of bio- and neurofeedback on athletic performance.

I would like to thank the members of the Advisory Decanal Review Committee, which I chaired, for their diligent work and contribution to this process. They are: Andre Buret (Vice President Research representative), Tannin Schmidt (Faculty of Kinesiology representative), Tish Doyle-Baker (Faculty of Kinesiology representative), Carolyn Emery (Faculty of Kinesiology representative), Dave Paskevich (Faculty of Kinesiology representative), Michael Kallos (GFC representative), Emma Read (GFC representative), Jim Dewald (decanal representative), Christine Stapleton (MaPS representative), Jodie McGill (AUPE representative), Alicia Lunz (SU representative), Amanda Black (GSA representative), Sandra Hoenle (Faculty Association representative), and Bonnie MacRae-Kilb (community representative).

Please join me in congratulating Penny Werthner on her reappointment.

Dru Marshall
Provost and Vice President (Academic)