T. Nicole Kirk

Nicole Kirk is an Associate 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 maintains a high degree of community engagement in adapted physical activity through coaching the Paralympic sport of goalball from the grassroots to international levels. At UGA, Dr. Kirk developed the GoalDawgs program, a residential blind sport camp for middle and high school-aged athletes. Since 2020, Dr. Kirk has also also directed the Pediatric Exercise and Motor Development Clinic (PEMDC), an adapted “swim and gym” program that provides individualized motor, fitness, sport, and aquatics skill instruction to children who experience disability 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.