Craig Asmundson
M. SC. (KIN), 1980 | B. SC. (KIN), 1972
48 years at SFU and still counting!
SFU opened its doors in 1965, and Craig was there! After changing majors a few times, Craig entered the Kinesiology undergraduate program when it began in 1969. In 1973, Craig started his M.Sc. in Kinesiology. While working on this degree, Craig became a Lab Instructor in Kinesiology, and he has never left. Now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology (BPK), formerly the School of Kinesiology, all students get to experience Craig’s teaching. First year students take Craig’s “Introduction to Kinesiology” course, and senior students finish their degrees with his “Human Physiology Lab” course. Students comment that Craig is a:
“Really great professor. You can tell he's knowledgeable and passionate about what he teaches. Very funny and engaging during lectures... actually makes you want to go to class.”
Craig has been influential in other ways.
He was Chair of the Kinesiology Undergraduate Program Committee for nine years.
In 1991, he was one of five founding directors of The British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists (BCAK), and its President from 1993 to 1995. The BCAK promotes kinesiology in BC as a valuable health care service. It supports the advancement of the Kinesiology profession, provides resources to its members to assist them in their practice, and promotes a code of ethics for members.
In 1991, Craig was awarded the SFU C.D. Nelson Memorial Prize in recognition of his work coordinating and leading the re-enactment of Simon Fraser's voyage down the Fraser River as part of Simon Fraser University's 25th anniversary celebrations in September 1990.
In 1996, Craig was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He took this as an opportunity to find out as much as he could about the disease and treatment methods, and to use this knowledge to educate friends, colleagues, and students, often by telling detailed and funny stories of his very personal experiences. Craig and his wife Gloria, and others, started a prostate cancer support group for people in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody; helped to set up a steering committee to coordinate area support groups outside of the Tri-Cities, and lobbied for increased research funding. In 1997, he was one of the founding directors and vice-chair of the British Columbia Foundation for Prostate Disease, a patient driven foundation to raise money for prostate cancer research and education, and which has since grown considerably and changed its name to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of BC.