In a world where innovation meets wellbeing, Chantel Muller is proving that the two can powerfully coexist. A published author and senior lecturer in marketing research and sports marketing at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus, Chantel is redefining how technology can transform health — and she’s doing it from right here at the NWU.
Her dedication and impact have not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year, she was recognised as the Most Productive Emerging Researcher at the 2024 NWU Excellence Awards — an achievement she describes as a “stepping stone” in her academic journey.
“Being recognised as a productive emerging researcher emphasised my commitment to innovate and share my findings across multiple platforms,” she reflects. “Much of this innovation came from the two-year journey of establishing the POWER-Hub, which has opened exciting new avenues for research.”
“This recognition was an important step between my role as a senior lecturer and my application for associate professor,” she says.
The POWER-Hub — short for Pioneering Opportunities with Esports Research — is the first transdisciplinary extended reality (XR) sports and fitness gaming hub of its kind at the NWU. Inspired by her personal fitness journey during the Covid-19 pandemic, the hub blends her passion for sports with her curiosity about technology.
“I wanted to create awareness and accessibility for this new genre of gamified exercise,” she explains. “From corporate wellness to sports training, and even work-integrated learning for our students, the hub’s potential is limitless.”
For NWU staff, the POWER-Hub is more than just an innovative space — it’s a workplace wellness initiative that tackles both physical and mental well-being. Partnering with the NWU’s Wellness portfolio, the hub offers on-campus gaming and exercise sessions that range from cycling and running to virtual reality boxing, dancing, archery, and more.
The results speak for themselves: “Staff often tell me that even five minutes of gameplay leaves them feeling energised and uplifted,” she says.
The hub is also a hands-on training ground for Sports Business Management students, who gain real-world experience organising and hosting events. This, Chantel believes, is how research, teaching, and community impact come together. “I want to establish a dedicated research team to address innovation gaps and maximise the hub’s societal and university impact,” she says.
Looking ahead, she envisions the POWER-Hub evolving into a multi-faculty, cross-entity research hub, with reach far beyond the NWU. From school-level esports to international partnerships — including an upcoming collaboration with a Zimbabwean college — she is determined to position the NWU as a tech-forward institution pioneering a new era of digital sports.
Chantel Muller
