Kathleen Howarth Retires After 15 Years

11/15/2010 

Kathleen Howarth, who served SUNY Cortland for 15 years, retired on Oct. 2. She was designated professor emerita of physical education.

A native of England, Howarth earned a Certificate of Education in Physical Education from the Bedford College of Physical Education, Cambridge University Institute of Education. She received a Bachelor of Education in Physical Education from University of Sussex. Howarth obtained a Master of Education in Philosophy of Education from the University of Liverpool and a doctorate in physical education curriculum and instruction from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. 

Howarth was an associate professor of physical education at the I. M. Marsh Campus of Liverpool Polytechnic for 17 years, from 1973-90, before moving to the U.S.

From 1967-75, Howarth played for the All-England Women’s Lacrosse Team. In 1973, she was a member of the Great Britain Lacrosse Touring Team to the U.S. She was honored as an assistant coach for England Lacrosse in the World Cup in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1986, and in Perth, Australia, in 1989. She chaired the All England Women’s Lacrosse Association and served as secretary of the International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse.

In 1990, Howarth was recognized by the London Times as runner-up in the administrator category as Sportswoman of the Year.

She joined SUNY Cortland’s Physical Education Department in 1995 as an assistant professor of physical education and was subsequently promoted to associate professor and, in 2006, to professor.

Howarth taught courses on The Physical Education Curriculum: Principles and Practice, Movement Education, Readings in Physical Education, Elementary School Physical Education Programs, and Tactical Concepts.

She performed administrative tasks for the Physical Education Department, including department coordinator and co-writer of submissions for the state and national reaccreditation process, and served on many personnel committees.

Howarth took part in faculty governance, including as an original member of the College’s Teacher Education Council, serving through this year. She participated as a member of the Faculty Development Committee, Faculty Mentoring Program, Search Committee for Coordinator of Field Experience, the Title IX Self Study Group and the Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee. Howarth served as a committee member for the Dorothy Dietz Memorial Scholarship Grant and as a volunteer for the 2002 Senior Games. Every summer from 1995-2004, she was assistant director of the Merestead field hockey/lacrosse camp in Pennsylvania.

Howarth wrote or co-authored textbook chapters and journal articles in her field. Her scholarly work has appeared in Human Kinetics, a publisher in physical education and activity, the Journal of Teaching Physical Education, The British Journal of Physical Education and the British Association of Advisers and Lecturers in Physical Education’s Bulletin of Physical Education.

She has contributed her research to the U.S. Lacrosse Physical Education Curriculum. She presented her scholarship at state, national and international conferences in the U.S. and Canada.

Howarth reviewed the textbook Elementary Classroom Teachers as Movement Educators (McGraw Hill, 2003) and performed much work as a consultant in areas including the teaching of lacrosse and national assessments for elementary physical education.

Howarth has moved to Philadelphia, Pa., where she lives with her partner, B.J. Phillips. She enjoys having more time to travel, attend the symphony and visit art museums, take art classes and plan an urban garden.