Giving
Your generous, tax-deductible support of the School of Kinesiology is more critical than ever. Gifts that fund scholarships and fellowships provide support for current and future students while easing the burden of tuition. They also enable the School to compete nationally and internationally for top students, enhancing our research, and strengthening our ability to develop partnerships with communities, schools, and organizations.
Your support gives our students the much-needed resources for growing knowledge and understanding in such areas as childhood obesity, health and wellness, the impact of sport on girls and women, and movement science.
Fellowship funds in action
Quote from Courtney Boucher
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I’m honored to be given the opportunity to help contribute to the Tucker Center’s incredible and important research mission. I want to thank Pam Borton and Lynn Holleran in particular for their support and for being such incredible women leaders in sport who have paved the way for me and countless others.
Meet Courtney Boucher, the three-time recipient (2019, 2020, 2021) of the Pam Borton Endowment for the Promotion of Girls and Women in Sport Leadership. Thanks to the support of the Pam Borton Fellowship, Boucher has been able to actively participate in and advance initiatives for the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport.
School of Kinesiology funds
Giving to a Kinesiology fund of your choice allows us to maintain our world-class institution by:
- enrolling and supporting the best and brightest students, regardless of financial circumstances
- attracting high-caliber faculty and providing them with the resources they need to perform critical research
- providing our students with access to the most up to date equipment and connecting our global network through cutting edge technology
- ensuring our students are at the forefront of their fields to shape the landscape of scholarship
- Research
- Equipment and resources
- Scholarships: Undergraduate
- Scholarships: Graduate
- Scholarships: All students
Research
David and Janie Kane Endowed Tucker Center Director Fund [23222]
The purpose of the Fund is to support the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sports by providing ongoing support of the Director of the Tucker Center. The Donor's wish is for this Fund to assist the Dean and the Tucker Center in its efforts to promote strong leadership and to continue the research on girls and women in sports by providing flexible funding to support the director through salary costs or augmentation as well as other activities or projects of the director.
Contact: Susan Holter susan@umn.edu
Women and Sport Leadership [20374]
This fund provides a flexible source of financial support for Tucker Center research, and educational activities and community outreach in areas/issues that examine women and sport leadership. Funding may be used for a broad range of needs and purposes including, but not limited to, research and outreach program expenses, equipment, travel to conferences, lectures, symposia, and other such activities that support and promote this line of scholarship. Decisions on fund expenditures are made by the Tucker Center director in consultation with the co-director.
Contact: Nicole M. LaVoi nmlavoi@umn.edu
Media Coverage of Female Athletes [20355]
This fund provides a flexible source of financial support for Tucker Center research, educational activities and community outreach in areas/issues that examine media coverage of female athletes. Funding may be used for a broad range of needs and purposes including, but not limited to, research and outreach program expenses, equipment, travel to conferences, lectures, symposium, and other such activities that support and promote this line of scholarship. Decisions on fund expenditures are made by the Tucker Center director in consultation with the co-director.
Contact: Nicole M. LaVoi nmlavoi@umn.edu
Henry L Taylor-Arthur S Leon Professorship in Exercise Science and Health Enhancement [2891]
To provide funding for the establishment and operation of the above named position. Disbursements are made quarterly to the U's operating account based on the spending policies of the University of Minnesota Foundation.
Contact: Susan Holter susan@umn.edu
Tucker Center Research Fund for Gender Equity in Sport [8673]
The fund provides a flexible source of funding for critically-needed research in areas that address gender equity in sport and physical activity conducted through the auspices of the Tucker Center.
Background: The fund provides a flexible source of funding for critically-needed research in areas that address gender equity in sport and physical activity conducted through the auspices of the Tucker Center. It may be used for a broad range of research related needs and purposes. Such research may include, but is not limited to:
- Impact of critical media literacy training on girls' and women's self-perceptions—body image, body satisfaction and gendered beliefs of body ideals.
- Intersections among race, class, and gender as a means to understand the barriers preventing females from participating in physical activity (e.g., girls of color have more obstacles to participation in sports and physical activity than do white girls).
- Effective strategies and practices to challenge the routine sexualization of girls and women as it results in their objectification.
- Inequities related to gender norms along with an analysis on how to advocate for changes, not only in sport and physical activity, but in the larger gender order of society.
- Declines in the number of females in leadership positions in sport and physical activity organizations in the wake of Title IX.
Selection of research topics and recipients will be made by the Director of the Tucker Center in consultation with the co-director of the Tucker Center.
Contact: Nicole M. LaVoi nmlavoi@umn.edu
Your support makes a real difference to students, faculty, and staff.
Learn more about giving to the School of Kinesiology and the College of Education and Human Development and how you can make a difference.

Professor emeriti, Mary Jo Kane, PhD, is shown here, second from left with Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women Sport friends and colleagues who helped create the David and Janie Kane Endowed Tucker Center Director Fund.
