School of Kinesiology hosts Kinesiology Research Day

On November 15, 2024, the School of Kinesiology community came together at Walter Library for the 2024 Kinesiology Research Day. This annual event, hosted by the Kinesiology Student Council (KinSC), recognized the innovative research performed by students through oral and poster presentations. Presentations covered a broad range of topics, showcasing the diverse and impactful research done within the School of Kinesiology. The event also hosted keynote speakers from the Mayo Clinic.

The day kicked off with a warm welcome from Jürgen Konczak, PhD, along with Tytiana Seay, President of the KinSC, and Mackenzie Griffin, a graduate student and member of the KinSC. The morning featured a series of innovative oral presentations from: 

• Angie Jin and Hannah Cornish: "The Structure of Paralympic Media Coverage: Perspectives from the U.S. and Canada"
• Kim Soltis: “Ready to Bring Their Dream Home:” Places of Women’s Sports Coverage in Local Media"
• Angela Bruzina: "Methodological Development to Assess Metabolic Flexibility in Preclinical Models"
• Shima Amini: "Initial Evidence of Usability of In-home Vibro-Tactile Stimulation To Treat Voice Symptoms of Laryngeal Dystonia"

After the oral presentations, Peter Grahn, PhD, and Megan Gill, DPT, from Mayo Clinic gave an insightful keynote presentation titled, “Emerging neuromodulation strategies to enhance rehabilitation.” Gill and Grahn shared personal stories that guided their journeys into rehabilitation research. Their presentation showcased groundbreaking research on neuromodulation techniques designed to restore sensorimotor functions in individuals with neurological impairments. They provided insights from clinical trials and explored how these innovations are transforming the future of rehabilitation.

In the early afternoon, undergraduate and graduate students showcased their poster presentations on various topics including: 

• Jack Dooley: "Dual X-ray Absorptiometry as a Measure of Leg Length in Children and Adolescents"
• Joy Erlandson: "Exploration of Factors Impacting Rehabilitation Professionals’ Delivery of Post-Stroke Physical Activity Recommendations: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study"
• Alice (Jingyi) Kang: "Local-Level Response to Institutional Change in SafeSport Programming: A Case Study of U.S. Figure Skating"
• William Juckett: "Relationships among Gonadotropins, Sex Hormones, and Vascular Function in Adolescents with Normal Weight or Obesity"
• Tamara de Paula e Mancilha: "Visceral Adipose Tissue in Obesity: A Comparison between DXA and MRI Measures"
• Kaitlyn Adams: "From Oh Baby to Child’s Pose: Yoga, Exercise, and Body Perceptions Across Maternal Life Stages"
• Logan McGee: "Division I Athletes’ Salivary Cortisol and Psychological Stress Response to the Motivational Climate During a Free Throw Shooting Clinic"
• Holly Weidner: "College Athlete Effort, Enjoyment, and Affect in Response to the Motivational Climate During a Sport Camp"
• Jounghwa Son: "Exploring Individual-Level Knowledge Management to Help Sustain Major Sport Event Legacies"
• Xinyi Zhou: "Ankle Proprioception and Balance in Young and Older Sedentary Adults"
• Amos Badu: "Factors Influencing the Recommendation of Social Support Strategies for Physical Activity Engagement by Rehabilitation Practitioners"
• Desmond Asante: "Quantitative Assessment of Bimanual Coordination in Chronic Stroke"

Tytiana Seay and Alex Garn, PhD, director of the School of Kinesiology, concluded the event with thoughtful closing remarks that celebrated the kinesiology community’s achievements. This event fostered an environment of learning, collaboration, and professional growth, highlighting the collective commitment to advancing knowledge and improving lives.