Kinesiology team wins National Biomechanics Day recognition

Texas Woman’s University’s biomechanics labs provide a way for our Kinesiology students to combine classroom theory with real-world application. A group of these students put this experience into practice on National Biomechanics Day 2018, when they invited 27 Aubrey high schoolers into the labs for a fun day of movement and motion. Their creative event recently received top recognition from the American Society of Biomechanics.

TWU’s biomechanics group was selected as one of three National Biomechanics Day (NBD) content winners, out of almost 300 entries submitted by university representatives in the U.S. and abroad. 2018 was the first year TWU has participated in NBD.

TWU biomechanics doctoral student Noelle Tuttle led the TWU team of eight graduate and six undergraduate students who organized the event. Prior to the day in the labs, TWU graduate students taught seven physics classes at Aubrey High School, covering the basics of biomechanics and inviting interested high school students to TWU to learn more.

“Our NBD activities were designed to relate physics to biomechanics,” Tuttle said. “We provided hands-on activities, and all of the students had a chance to participate in some way.”

The Aubrey students learned about balance and muscle properties, and how biomechanics professionals capture and use the data. They also learned the basics of motion capture and how it is used in research, movies and video games.

“We wanted to inspire these students to pursue biomechanics as a career,” Tuttle said. “Knowing that we had one of the top programs on National Biomechanics Day has motivated us to broaden our program next year.”

The TWU team wants to expose even more students to biomechanics, which is used in a variety of fields – from physical therapy and research to sporting equipment development and athletic coaching.

According to its website, National Biomechanics Day is a “world-wide blast of biomechanics science and fun.” This was the third year for the international event. TWU received its recognition based on the “educational value and creativity of the content” of the program.