T. Nicole Kirk

Nicole Kirk is an assistant professor in the HPE program within the Department of Kinesiology. As co-director of the Sport Instruction and Research Laboratory, Dr. Kirk and team conduct research on topics related to disability sport, adapted physical activity, and adapted physical education. Specific research interests include exploring disabled folks’ experiences in physical activity, sport and PE spaces to better understand issues of accessibility, inclusion, and motivation in these contexts.

Dr. Kirk also co-directs the Pediatric Exercise and Motor Development Clinic (PEMDC), which provides individualized motor, fitness, sport, and aquatics skill instruction to children with disabilities from the Athens area in a service-learning environment. Prior to pursuing doctoral training, Dr. Kirk worked as an adapted physical education specialist in preK-12 settings.

In 2022, Dr. Kirk and colleagues started Project CAPER, a doctoral training opportunity through the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education, which provides funding for doctoral students working in adapted physical education research under the mentorship of Dr. Kirk. For more information on becoming a CAPER scholar, go to: https://sites.google.com/view/project-caper/home_1