Kinesiology students raise their profiles nationally at Biomechanics conference

Three top JU Kinesiology students recently traveled to the University of Colorado Boulder to present research at the prestigious American Society of Biomechanics national conference.

Second-year graduate students Jaclyn O’Loughlin and Jared Mallard were joined by Robert Paxton, a recent JU kinesiology graduate who begins the MS program this fall.

“What was really exciting is that they were able to continue discussions with many students and researchers they had met at a conference they presented at in February,” said Dr. Jeff Wight, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology in the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences’ School of Applied Health Sciences. “Their networks are expanding and strengthening quickly.”

At the conference, the students were able to present and discuss their research with top students and national experts. Mallard talked extensively with a sport biomechanist at Auburn University, said Dr. Wight, who accompanied the students. O’Loughlin, meanwhile, presented and met with Motus Biomechanics Lab representatives to discuss a research proposal and funding.

“We also attended the two running biomechanics research sessions at the conference which helped us to fine-tune their master’s thesis topics,” said Dr. Wight.

Paxton, a top spring 2017 kinesiology undergraduate and president of the Kinesiology Student Society, presented running research – his second conference poster as an undergraduate. For the past two years, he has been a member of the research team in the JU Running Biomechanics Laboratory.

“Seeing the great presentations and then interacting with the researchers is a remarkable opportunity for the students,” said. Dr. Wight. “There is no doubt that this process will dramatically enrich their master’s theses at JU. The students can now put a face and laboratory to research papers in their literature reviews.”