Dr Karen Dennis has been teaching personal fitness (KNR 113) for 25 years, along with KNR 298a10, KNR 378, KNR 398, and KNR 353; while being the internship coordinator for exercise science. She completed her undergraduate in nursing from Mennonite college of nursing and then went on to work in the intensive care unit and cardiac critical care in a hospital.
She was inspired by a student intern to attend graduate school here at ISU. Dr. Dennis graduated with a masters in exercise physiology and nutrition. She then got her doctoral degree in education with emphasis in online curriculum education and instruction. In grad school, she taught the labs for KNR 113. Dr Dennis ended up loving teaching.
After having worked in the hospital, it became a life mission for her to try and prevent disease. Teaching at the collegiate level and teaching personal fitness was a way to do this. Something unique to being an internship coordinator is working one-on-one with students. Dr Dennis states “I love when students aren’t sure which route they want to go, I love being able to facilitate opportunities for students.” She places students into their internships; this develops a closer professional connection to students while also keeping her connected to the industry.
The main thing Dr. Dennis loves about the exercise science field is when people realize how important exercise science is. “What we do as exercise scientists can really help people live healthier, more productive lives. When it comes to exercise- people either love it or hate it- this gives us the ability to work with someone who is beginning to love what we love.”
Note for alumni: If you are interested in being a site supervisor for these internships, feel free to reach out to Dr Karen Dennis. Email: kkdenni@ilstu.edu
Interview conducted by Ex Sci student Christina Mitria