Grand Opening of U of A Environmental Chamber Set for May 7

Photo Submitted

Doctoral student J.D. Adams, center, and Matthew Ganio, right, director of the Human Performance Laboratory, demonstrate equipment in the new environmental chamber with the help of U of A student Sean Salazar, a competitive cyclist. Photo by Russell Cothren

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Arkansas will unveil the new environmental chamber used by researchers in the exercise science program of the College of Education and Health Professions. The grand opening will take place at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 7.

Faculty and students are studying important research questions related to heat and hydration using the environmental chamber recently installed in Room 323 of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building. The campus community and the public are invited to come learn about the new facility.

Chancellor G. David Gearhart, Provost Sharon Gaber and Tom Smith, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions, will speak at the event. Matthew Ganio, director of the Human Performance Laboratory and an assistant professor of exercise science, and Stavros Kavouras, an associate professor of exercise science, will describe research projects underway using the environmental chamber.

Special guest Kikko Haydar, member of the men’s Razorback basketball team and an honors kinesiology student, will exercise in the environmental chamber during the demonstration.

Undergraduate and graduate students studying exercise science will also be on hand to answer questions and talk about their research.

“Having this environmental chamber greatly enhances our research capability because it can precisely control temperature and humidity while individuals are exercising in it,” Ganio said. “It has the capacity to maintain temperatures between 39 and 111 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity between 30 and 75 percent. We look forward to demonstrating the chamber and sharing information with our colleagues conducting research in various disciplines across campus.”

The University of Arkansas has stated its intention to become a top 50 public research university by 2021.

“In response, the exercise science program and the Human Performance Laboratory in the College of Education and Health Professions have grown significantly in the past few years,” Ganio said. “Growth has taken place in terms of the number of faculty members with research-intensive backgrounds and an emphasis on continued external grant funding. To execute high quality research, we have obtained new, state-of-the art equipment that sets us apart from peer institutions.”

More information about exercise science research can be found on the HPL website.