Movement Science students present research at national conference

Students from Grand Valley’s Movement Science Department departed the classroom to gain a more universal perspective of their field of study at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.

The conference, which took place in San Diego, California, in May, saw 11 students and five faculty members from the exercise science program present on collaborative research projects ranging from muscle exercise physiology and sports nutrition to body composition and flexibility.

Ross Sherman, associate professor of exercise science and program coordinator, said by gaining experience presenting methodology, results and interpretations of research data at conferences such as this, students equip themselves with necessary skills for their futures.

“I think the greatest value to students is gaining invaluable high-impact practices in terms of advancing both their theoretical understanding of a specific area of the field, and also basic and advanced communication skills,” Sherman said.

Stephen Glass, professor of movement science, added that the students presenting at this conference gained a better understanding of how their work fits into the larger movement science field.

“When presenting at the world’s largest sports medicine meeting, the students can see how their work integrates and adds to the research activities going on all across the world in areas similar to their work,” Glass said.

Samantha Orr, ’15, said presenting at the ACSM conference afforded her an excellent learning opportunity and a way to build her professional credentials.

“It exercised my self-motivation and responsibility for my research,” Orr said. “People value the amount of effort, hard work and time you put into something like this and it does show after presenting. A lot of fellow students and professors at the conference were really impressed with the work our team completed and presented.”

Five Grand Valley alumni also had a presence at the event. Matt Wittbrodt, ’10, received the 2015 Carl Gisolfi Research Grant for his on-going doctorate research investigating whether gender influences dehydration-mediated changes to brain activity and morphology during motor tasks.

The ACSM is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. With more than 50,000 members and certified professionals across the globe, the organization is dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.