Dr. Belmar Gunderson, a former faculty member in the School of Kinesiology and the first director of the University of Minnesota Women’s Athletics Department, has passed. She was 88.

Dr. Gunderson came to the U of M in 1962 as a faculty member and coach in the Department of Physical Education for Women, now the School of Kinesiology. In 1975, she became the first Director of Women’s Intercollegiate Athletics before the men’s and women’s programs merged. Dr. Gunderson helped lay the foundation for future generations of student-athletes by introducing scholarships, advocating for increased funding, and initiating 10 women’s varsity sports.

Dr. Gunderson was given numerous awards throughout her career, including the Minnesota’s M Club Hall of Fame in 2003 and the MN National Girls and Women in Sports Day Legacy Award in 2020.