Robert Gregoire

Hometown: Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

Age: 30

Major: Kinesiology

Minor: Biology

What are your plans post-Southwestern?

Become a Physician Assistant

When do you feel most like a scientist?

I feel most like a scientist when there is a puzzle or something is broken, and I [am] responsible for understanding or fixing the situation.

Sarah Emiko Nonaka

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Age: 21

Major: Kinesiology

What are your plans post-Southwestern?

I aspire to become a physical therapist and have applied to Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs in California, Colorado, and Texas.

When do you feel most like a scientist?

I feel most like a scientist when I present the findings of a study I designed and completed or lead a class in a topic that I have chosen to present. There is no better feeling than knowing the content of the material you are presenting so well that you are no longer intimidated by the questions following your presentation.

For my capstone…

I examined the effects of heading on neurocognitive function in female collegiate soccer players during an entire soccer season. News concerning the ill effects of concussions, both acute and far-reaching, have flooded media outlets in the past few years. As a member of the women’s soccer team at Southwestern University, I decided on this topic because I have a vested interest in it. Although it has been shown that heading a ball does not cause a concussion, what if heading was viewed in a different light: as a sub-concussive blow. What would happen if the accumulation of these sub-concussive blows were quantified at the end of a season? Would there be a similar depression in neurocognitive function similar to a concussion?

KINerds for Life

I was truly touched by the assistance extended to me by SU Kinesiology students during my data analysis process. It was amazing to experience the camaraderie and support of my fellow KINerds when I needed it most.

Stephen Fuentes

Hometown: Nolanville, TX

Age: 26

Major: Kinesiology

What are your plans post-Southwestern?

I plan on applying to medical school in the summer.

When do you feel most like a scientist?

I feel most like a scientist when I am analyzing graphs and statistics from experiments/labs.  After staring at the data for a while trying to decipher what it all means, all of a sudden a light bulb comes on.

My capstone….

…tested the effect that minimal foot wear (barefoot shoes) has on foot strength and foot shape when walking. I have been runner for most of my life, and barefoot shoes have been a recent craze.  I stumbled on this topic in my Research Methods in Kinesiology class. I did a barefoot experiment for my research methods class and a minimal footwear experiment for my capstone. Some of the challenges I encountered included determining the best way to display the data to an audience and troubleshooting the equipment.

Katelyn Bartell

Hometown: Austin

Age: 22

Major: Kinesiology

Minor: Business

What are your plans post-Southwestern?

After graduation, I will be moving to Dallas to attend the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at UT Southwestern.

When do you feel most like a scientist?

I feel most like a scientist when I apply the things I’ve learned in my science classes here at SU to simple things in my everyday life, such as analyzing the gait pattern of people walking around me or trying to determine which muscles I’m using in the weight room.

For my capstone….

…we were given the freedom to choose any topic we wanted to study. The three-point line in NCAA women’s basketball recently moved farther away from the basket. I wanted to determine if this increase had an effect on shooting mechanics and performance for players. Using my teammates as participants and game statistics for all division III schools, I was able to find that the increased distance truly did have a negative effect on shooting. My whole capstone was a great experience because I was challenged to figure out how to do certain research problems independently. I have learned so much in my time here at SU and it felt like such an accomplishment to be able to apply these things to a research study and actually produce valid results.