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Augustana Plans New Building And Kinesiology Major

Students at Augustana College in Rock Island will soon have a new place to hit the gym and hit the books. The college announced Tuesday plans to open a hybrid fitness and academic center by the end of next year.

The Knowlton (NOLL-ton) Center will house a swimming pool, classrooms, and laboratories. Those laboratories will be designed specifically for kinesiologys—the study of physical activity and human motions—which the college plans to offer as an academic major beginning in 2023.

"Students with a kinesiology program could fill jobs in five of the 20 fastest-growing occupations," says Augustana biology professor Kimberly Murphy. "So, these graduates will be well positioned to play very important roles in advancing human health."

The Knowlton Center is expected to cost $16 million. It will be located on 7th Avenue in Rock Island next to Evald Hall and across from the Denkmann building.