At A Glance
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At A Glance

The National Academy of Kinesiology is a members-based, non-governmental organization. It receives some operational support from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and archival assistance from The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.

The Academy’s dual purpose is to encourage and promote the study and educational applications of the art and science of human movement and physical activity and to honor by election to its membership persons who have directly or indirectly contributed significantly to the study of and/or application of the art and science of human movement and physical activity.

Kinesiology is a field focused on physical activity and its impact on health, society, and quality of life. The National Research Council recognized it as a Life Science discipline.

Elected Fellows are those who have made sustained and distinguished contributions to the discipline for an extended period, usually with one or more signature contributions, and who are willing to participate in advancing the mission and goals of the Academy.

Academy membership is restricted to 200 Active Fellows, with an unrestricted number of International Fellows. Potential Fellows are nominated annually by current Fellows. Following a rigorous, multistage review process, the most eminent are elected.

Among the list of all-time Academy Fellows are recipients of:

  • The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (Archibald Vivian Hill)
  • John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship (Arthur H. Steinhaus)
  • Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Sian Leah Beilock; Clair E. Turner)
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering (Lillian M. Gilbreth)
  • Member, National Academy of Medicine (Lawrence W. Green)
  • Member, National Academy of Sciences (Wilton M. Krogman)
  • MacArthur Fellow (Kevin M. Guskiewicz)

More than a dozen leaders of colleges and universities in the United States and abroad (e.g., Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Taiwan, The Netherlands), including the current:

  • President, Dartmouth College (Sian Leah Beilock)
  • President, Michigan State University (Kevin M. Guskiewicz)
  • President, Shanghai University of Sport (Peijjie Chen)

Academy Timeline

NameDateNotes
National Academy of Kinesiology2010-present
American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education1992–2010
American Academy of Physical Education1930–1992Founded 1930
American Academy of Physical Education1926–1930Chartered 1926
[American] Academy of Physical Education1904–1918Conceived 1904

Sources:  Cardinal, B. J. (2022). The National Academy of Kinesiology: Its founding, focus, and future. Kinesiology Review, 11(1), 6–25.

Cardinal, B. J., & Scott, K. K. (2026). The National Academy of Kinesiology’s roster rebuild project: 1926–2025. Kinesiology Review, 15(1), 4–31.

Updated: August 5, 2026