Celebrating 50 years of history and innovation at Noll Laboratory

Since 1973, Noll Laboratory—originally the Human Performance Laboratory that was established in 1966 by Elsworth R. Buskirk—was the nation’s first free-standing, independent research facility devoted to the multidisciplinary study of the interaction between physical activity and the environment.

Researchers in Noll Laboratory have conducted controlled studies of physiological responses to exercise and other stressors including heat, cold, altitude, energy deficits, and simulated spaceflight. Of the many studies and projects that have been conducted at Noll Lab over the years, it is most known for several key innovations and discoveries in human health and performance. 

Some of these include the development of precision instrumentation and methods for measuring body composition; insights into the effects of altitude on aerobic work capacity and running performance; how energy restriction impacts menstrual function and bone health in women; understanding the molecular and cellular signals regulating muscle growth and loss due to aging and cancer; and determining work performance limits in simulated occupational tasks with thermal protective clothing. 

Now a research facility of the Penn State Department of Kinesiology, scholars affiliated with Noll Laboratory fulfill its mission through collaborations with practitioners and scientists in multiple disciplines and expanded levels of inquiry ranging from the whole body to the molecular level. 

To recognize and celebrate the innovations and achievements of Noll Laboratory over the last 50 years, the Department of Kinesiology will host three events on Wednesday, Nov. 20, on Penn State’s University Park campus. 

Historical Marker Unveiling Ceremony 

A new historical marker will be unveiled just outside the entrance to Noll Laboratory at Penn State’s University Park campus. The ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m. and feature remarks from keynote speakers and lab affiliates who will share the lab's history and impact. 

Speakers will include Lacy Alexander, professor of kinesiology; Craig Newschaffer, Raymond E. and Erin Stuart Schultz Dean of the College of Health and Human Development and professor of biobehavioral health; John Bartholomew, head and professor of kinesiology; Andrew Read, senior vice president for research; Donna Korzick, professor of kinesiology and physiology and director of Graduate Training Initiatives, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences; W. Larry Kenney, professor of physiology and kinesiology and Marie Underhill Noll Chair in Human Performance; Peter A. Farrell, emeritus professor, East Carolina State University; and Jerome A. Dempsey, professor emeritus of population health sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, American Physiological Society representative. 

The unveiling ceremony is free and open for all to attend.  

Historical Lecture

Following the historical marker unveiling ceremony, Jim Pawelczyk, associate professor of physiology and kinesiology, will deliver a historical lecture from 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m. in 117 Freeman Auditorium in the HUB-Robeson Center, at Penn State University Park. 

The lecture will feature the innovative physiology and kinesiology research that has taken place at Noll Laboratory during its five-decade history.  

The lecture is free and open to the public.  

Commemoration Reception

After the historical lecture, the Department of Kinesiology will host a reception with light refreshments from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to conclude the celebration of Noll Laboratory’s 50th anniversary. The reception will be held in 122 Heritage Hall in the HUB-Robeson Center at Penn State University Park. 

This reception is free and open to the public, but registration is required to attend. 

Details and RSVP

To learn more about these three events and to RSVP, please visit the Noll Lab 50th Commemoration Celebration web page. 

Originally published in October 2024