Student Corner

ES 531 Seminar in Exercise graduate student group for 2012

Management of Health and Fitness Major Represents NMU

Elijah Handelsman, a Management of Health and Fitness Major and NMU Campus Recreation Employee, will be representing NMU at the Ohio Recreation Sports Association Conference (ORSA) November 2-4 in Boardman, Ohio. He will partner with a graduate student from Ashland University to give a presentation on programming work (youth summer camps) the two did over the summer. The title of the presentation is "The Good, The Bad & The Messy: Trends and Ideas for Youth Summer Camps". Elijah will also give this presentation at the National Intramural Recreation Sports Association (NIRSA) National Conference in Tampa Bay, Flor. in March 2012.

Student Attend Leadership Development Conference

Evan Clendening (Management of Health and Fitness) and Cassandra Evers (Community Health Education), were selected to attend a Leadership Development Conference for the Midwest District of the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) in Pokagon, Indiana, in September.  The students participated in a leadership training program while Dr. Patricia Hogan attended Midwest District AAHPERD council meetings.

Sarah Leissring - Junior

SPORTS SCIENCE MAJOR  - FROM JUNEAU, WI

CAREER GOAL:  A CAREER RELATED TO INJURY PREVENTION AND RESEARCH

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND HER EXPERIENCES:  “The HPER Department and NMU as a whole have been so supportive of my research as well as my education. We are incredibly lucky to have this caliber of instruction. They genuinely care about and are interested in their students. I’ve learned so much already in my first 2 years by hands-on education that a lot of students never get to experience.  I don’t believe I could have gotten the same opportunities anywhere else.  Class sizes are relatively small as well, so professors get to know their students on a better level and know them by name and not just another number.  I greatly value the relationships I’ve built with my professors here and the chance to present at two international conferences as an undergraduate student is amazing and wouldn’t have been possible without the phenomenal support of NMU, the  HPER Department, the College of Professional Studies,  and the Sports Science Program."

RESEARCH: " I began research with Dr. Jensen through the Freshman Fellowship Program and have been able to continue this research with him as my adviser as well as assisting a graduate student with thesis data collection through the University Scholars Program. I was given the opportunity to present at the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports annual meeting in Limerick, Ireland in August 2009 as well as the ISBS conference held here at NMU this past July.  I will also be conducting another study this year and will hopefully be able to present at the next conference in Porto, Portugal in 2011."

ISBS PRESENTATON 2010:  “Relationship of Ground and Knee Joint Reaction Forces in Plyometric Exercises.” The purpose of the study was to see whether there’s a difference between forces on the knee and feet during the landing phase of a jump; and if one of these variables can be used to calculate the other.  In an effort to find a more accurate way to calculate knee joint reaction forces 18 recreationally active college students participated in the study. Force and video data were collected while the subjects performed various vertical jumps. Statistics revealed forces at the feet can be used to predict those at the knee joint.  Such research studies may help to account for different knee injuries, including ACL tears.  Ultimately, we hope to find a more accurate way to calculate the various forces on the knee joint to determine why the injuries occur; and then develop prevention techniques.