Audra Romans (BS '18)

Kinesiology senior Audra Romans made the most of her Texas Woman’s undergraduate experience as an Honors Scholar, Pioneer Ambassador, Kinesiology Club member and student employee in several departments on campus. Then, during her final semester, Romans and five other kinesiology students competed and won first place as TWU’s inaugural team in the Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC) Design Challenge, sponsored by NASA.

Romans and her teammates were hand-selected by faculty advisor Rhett Rigby, PhD, assistant professor of health promotion and kinesiology. They spent the summer studying musculoskeletal issues experienced by astronauts in flight and began working on a prototype to prevent and treat lower back pain caused by microgravity.

Romans’ role largely consisted of conducting research and acting as a liaison between the team and various departments across campus, including visual arts to create a patch incorporating the team name “Acolytes of Apollo.” After helping create the prototype, Romans began working with professor of fashion and textiles, Sheri Dragoo, PhD, to sew the wearable garment.

“The experience as a whole has increased my confidence not only in research but also in public speaking,” says Romans. “I feel fortunate to have been given this opportunity so we could prove that NASA has a place for kinesiology.”