Exercise science student Marlee Huskey appeared in Tech Today and in Stories from Husky Nation. You can read the article to learn about her experience.
Last week, I had the opportunity to blend professional growth with a bit of adventure during a short trip through Michigan. My journey began in Grand Rapids, where I attended the annual Midwest Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine (MWACSM) conference. It was an exciting and enlightening event where I had the chance to deliver a long-form professional presentation titled “Metabolic Cost of Human Locomotion: A Historical Review and Future Considerations.” Getting the experience to present and engage with a broad audience from undergraduate students to professionals in the field was rewarding and provided great opportunity for personal growth. The other highlight of the MWACSM conference was undoubtedly the keynote by Dr. Philip Skiba. His talk on Nike’s “Breaking Two” project—a quest to break the 2-hour marathon barrier—was inspiring and highlighted some of the most cutting edge work marrying engineering and science to optimize human performance.
From Grand Rapids, I then headed to Ann Arbor to attend the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) conference. Here, I presented a poster on my current research titled “Human Powered Locomotion on Variable Terrain: Implications for How to Move on Mars.” The interdisciplinary nature of the conference made it incredibly enjoyable. Presentations ranged from hard engineering to deep space science to ecology and biomechanics, fostering conversations that bridged numerous fields of research. It was refreshing to be part of such a diverse gathering of minds, all united by a common curiosity for the unknown.
This trip was not just a personal and professional milestone but also an opportunity to represent Michigan Tech and the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP). By presenting my research, I had the chance to showcase our work to undergraduates and other attendees from around the region. I hope that sharing cutting-edge topics and insights with future scientists and researchers could inspire collaborations both within and outside the department and university.
To cap off the trip, I embarked on a mini adventure. Driving back home, I took a scenic route that allowed me to touch three of the Great Lakes in a single day—Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Feeling the cool water from each of these massive lakes was a grounding experience, a reminder of the vast and varied landscapes that define this region.
All in all, the trip was a perfect mix of professional development, scientific inspiration, and personal exploration.
Submitted by Kyle Wehmanen
The Daily Mining Gazette published a column written by Steven Elmer supporting the Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act — a bill introduced to the U.S. Senate in 2023 — and encouraging readers to be physically active this spring.
About Steve Elmer
Interim Department Chair, Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
Dr. Elmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology at Michigan Technological University. His research goals are to find better ways to restore musculoskeletal function, maintain health, and improve performance in healthy and clinical populations. Specifically, his research is focused on three key areas: 1) mechanics of skeletal muscle contraction, 2) coordination of locomotor tasks, and 3) exercise interventions to improve physical conditioning and mobility. Applications for his research range from basic aspects of muscle contraction to applied human performance in a variety of settings including injury, rehabilitation, ergonomics, and sport.
About the Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology Department at Michigan Technological University
Tomorrow needs healthy communities. The Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) at Michigan Technological University helps to build them. The KIP Department offers undergraduate degrees in exercise science and sports and fitness management. Graduate degree offerings include a PhD in Integrative Physiology as well as a master’s and accelerated master’s degree in Kinesiology. Housed in the new H-STEM Complex, KIP leads several important health and wellness collaborative research projects across eight different labs. Supercharge your human health skills to meet the demands of an increasingly active and aging society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math.
Questions? Contact us at kip@mtu.edu. Follow all the latest happenings on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and the KIP Blog.
Michigan Tech researchers Tan Chen (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Steven Elmer (Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology) received a research and development grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The project is titled “Investigating Lunar Bipedal Locomotion Mechanics and Predicting Human Musculoskeletal Health on the Moon.” Dr. Tan is serving as the PI and Dr. Elmer is the co-PI on this potential two-year award.
Full details can be found in Tech Today.
To mark the Spring 2024 opening of the Michigan Tech H-STEM Complex, we asked graduate students for their impressions of the new facility, which brings multiple disciplines under one roof for increased innovation. As you’d expect from these emerging researchers, “collaboration” was the most-used word, along with “state-of-the-art,” “technology,” and “modern.” Here’s what Integrative Physiology majors Oluwatosin I. Oyeniran and Kyle Wehmanen, and Kinesiology major Lily Hart had to say about what the new facility, dedicated at the end of spring semester 2024, means to them.
What are your first impressions of the H-STEM Complex?
OO: The H-STEM complex is a world-class and state-of-the-art educational facility that will provide solutions to societal challenges by consolidating quality teaching and research in engineering and health-related sciences.
KW: The new H-STEM complex is a great addition to the Michigan Tech campus. The design brings a modern feel to the heart of Tech and should help promote Tech’s commitment to education and research.
LH: My first impression of the H-STEM Complex was how spacious the research and teaching labs are.
How will the new facility enable you to become a better researcher?
OO: The H-STEM complex’s unique features such as its discipline-specific shared, flexible, collaborative lab and research spaces will enhance my learning and greatly support my quest to conduct quality and solution-oriented research and sharpen my scientific and technological skills.
KW: The new and expanded space makes research easier and more efficient. More importantly, the new building should foster increased collaboration both within and between multiple departments with optimized lab spaces.
LH: I believe that the new space will allow for collaborations with my peers. Having a communal grad office space has made it easy to not only get to know my peers better, but to get their input and ideas for coursework and research projects.
What’s the number one improvement, from your perspective, of moving your program into the H-STEM Complex?
OO: For me, the major improvement is that, unlike our former location, the H-STEM complex is engineered to allow anyone inside and outside the workspaces to watch and visually experience diverse teams working jointly in shared, flexible, and collective teaching and research spaces. I look forward to maximizing all the opportunities and possibilities that the H-STEM complex will offer toward leading and advancing healthcare breakthroughs, technologies, and solutions for Michigan, the region, and the nation at large.
KW: The new state-of-the-art research spaces and overall inviting atmosphere of the building should promote excitement and energy in the coming years.
LH: The main improvement that I see as a result of the move is the KIP department becoming more integrated into Tech’s community. Moving to the main campus has given us a better presence
About the Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology Department at Michigan Technological University
Tomorrow needs healthy communities. The Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) at Michigan Technological University helps to build them. The KIP Department offers undergraduate degrees in exercise science and sports and fitness management. Graduate degree offerings include a PhD in Integrative Physiology as well as a master’s and accelerated master’s degree in Kinesiology.
Housed in the new H-STEM Complex, KIP leads several important health and wellness collaborative research projects across eight different labs. Supercharge your human health skills to meet the demands of an increasingly active and aging society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math.
Questions? Contact us at kip@mtu.edu. Follow all the latest happenings on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and the KIP Blog.
Isaac Lennox, a recent MS in Kinesiology graduate, received Honorable Mention for the MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Masters Thesis Award of 2024. Isaac’s thesis, “Exercise Is Medicine® on Campus: A National Analysis and Assessment of Community Impact,” was an examination of how the EIM-OC initiative impacts the health and vitality of university campuses and their surrounding communities. He was advised by Dr. Steve Elmer in KIP.
To read Isaac’s thoughts about his time spent at Michigan Tech and his research, go to the Graduate School’s Newsblog.
Dr. Steve Elmer wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the Mining Journal on April 15, 2024 about the importance of physical activity and urging Senator Gary Peters and Senator Debbie Stabenow to support “Promoting Physical Activity for Americans Act” so that physical activity becomes a national priority. This bill would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue issuing physical-activity guidelines at least every 10 years based on the most current scientific and medical knowledge.
To read the full letter, please visit the Mining Journal’s webpage.
KIP’s move into the Michigan Technological University’s H-STEM Engineering and Health Technologies Complex (H-STEM Complex) is complete. An informal open house and a ribbon-cutting ceremony are scheduled for April 26.
The H-STEM Complex: Transparent, Open, Shared and Flexible Laboratory Spaces
The H-STEM Complex includes newly constructed shared and flexible laboratory spaces co-located with renovated classrooms and learning spaces within an existing building (Chemical Sciences and Engineering). The Complex will permit teams of researchers and students to work together in collaborative spaces with shared equipment.
The H-STEM Complex is transparent. From the exterior, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see into the labs. Similar interior design ensures those within and outside can see teams working together in shared, collaborative lab spaces. You can see the exciting work, including health research, teaching, and outreach strategy happening inside.
KIP interim department chair Steven Elmer is looking forward to increased visibility for the discoveries and developments happening there. “Faculty and students are thrilled to move into the H-STEM Complex,” said Elmer. “We’re excited to showcase the human health research technologies and innovations happening at Michigan Tech. Having a central location on campus highlights the importance of our department’s research in the Michigan Tech portfolio. The H-STEM Complex is a cornerstone of Tech’s efforts to continue attracting high-caliber faculty and research funding, graduate and undergraduate students. It will help us as we move toward our goal of being a leading kinesiology program.”
Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
Steve Elmer Shares Thoughts on the H-STEM Complex
We had a chance to catch up with Steve Elmer to learn more about the H-STEM Complex and it’s impact on the Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology Department.
What are you looking forward to most with the move to H-STEM?
Steve Elmer: We are most excited about having 1) our students, staff, and faculty all located in close proximity to one another on the first floor and 2) state-of-the-art laboratory space for conducting research and teaching.
Please describe some of the new features and amenities in H-STEM that make it conducive to research?
Steve Elmer: The new H-STEM building provides ample space for both research and teaching. For example, some of the research laboratories have larger open floor plans which allow for evaluation of human movement to understand changes that occur due to age, injury, disease, or exercise. Our exercise physiology and biomechanics teaching laboratories have adequate space for hands-on discovery-based learning along with a classroom for pre-laboratory instruction and student project work.
The research and teaching laboratories are located adjacent to each other, and many are connected which allows for collaboration among faculty and students. The building also has parking and easy access for community members who volunteer to participate in research studies. Meeting and conference room space for discussion and presentation is located in between the laboratories and offices for graduate students, staff, and faculty. In short, this state-of-the-art facility will support our research and teaching needs and long-term goal of becoming a nationally ranked kinesiology department.
What obstacles have you had to overcome with the transition into the H-STEM Complex?
Steve Elmer: One of the biggest challenges has simply been time. Many of our faculty and staff were hired with the new H-STEM building on the horizon and they have been patiently waiting for the transition to a new building with more space and greater capacity for research and teaching.
What exciting new opportunities or initiatives planned for KIP in the new H-STEM Complex?
Steve Elmer: In early April we hosted 200+ K-12 students from several local schools in celebration of National Biomechanics Day. This was our first outreach event in the new H-STEM building and the largest one to date for our department. It was a big hit! The University is planning a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 25 and we are planning an informal department open house that same day. It’d be great to see some of the alums come out for those events.
How does H-STEM align with KIPs vision for the future of research?
Steve Elmer: The new H-STEM Complex offers the robust infrastructure needed to position the Department to become a nationally ranked kinesiology program. Specifically, it will help the Department to increase research expenditures and number of doctorate degrees awarded, both of which are critical as Michigan Tech transitions to an R1 University for 2025.
What is a memorable moment from the planning process?
Steve Elmer: One of the most memorable moments was seeing the excitement from graduate students as they did a walk-through tour of the building while it was still under construction. Students were literally high fiving and jumping up and down and ready to move in that day!
How will the move to H-STEM benefit your undergraduates?
Steve Elmer: Undergraduate instructional lab sections will be delivered in our new exercise physiology and biomechanics teaching laboratories. These laboratories will now have adequate space for pre-laboratory instruction, large instructional equipment, team-based experiments, and student project work. Collectively, this will provide students with hands-on discovery-based learning experiences.
How will the move to H-STEM benefit your graduates?
Steve Elmer: The new H-STEM building will provide a supportive and welcoming environment for our graduate student cohort. Being together as a group in one building on the same floor will accelerate their research, facilitate more collaboration, and aid in their professional development.
About the Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology Department at Michigan Technological University
Tomorrow needs healthy communities. The Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology (KIP) at Michigan Technological University helps to build them. The KIP Department offers undergraduate degrees in exercise science and sports and fitness management. Graduate degree offerings include a PhD in Integrative Physiology as well as a master’s and accelerated master’s degree in Kinesiology. Housed in the new H-STEM Complex, KIP leads several important health and wellness collaborative research projects across eight different labs. Supercharge your human health skills to meet the demands of an increasingly active and aging society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math.
Questions? Contact us at kip@mtu.edu. Follow all the latest happenings on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and the KIP Blog.
Gracie VanLangevelde, a KIP graduate student and senior goalkeeper on Michigan Tech’s soccer team, has been named a 2023-24 Pat Riepma Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.
Gracie appeared in 57 games over the past five seasons for Michigan Tech. She was the 2023 GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year and was a two-time All-GLIAC First Team selection. She was also honored by the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region First Team and the CSC Academic All-District Team, and was a four-time member of the GLIAC Academic Excellence Team.
Gracie graduated in spring of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and received the 2023 American Kinesiology Association’s Undergraduate Scholar Award. She will complete her master’s degree in Kinesiology at Tech in spring of 2024 and plans to attend the University of Buffalo’s Department of Rehabilitation Science to pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Read more about Gracie’s scholarly and athletic achievements at Michigan Tech Athletics.
After a hiatus due the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan Tech’s Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology is gearing up for 2024 National Biomechanics Day. National Biomechanics Day is part of a worldwide initiative to increase the influence and impact of biomechanics in our society with a focus on outreach and education in schools.
This year’s theme for NBD is celebrating the 21st century’s breakthroughs in science. Our department, led by Dr. Carolyn Duncan’s Advanced Biomechanics class, will be taking students through a series of fun activities related to biomechanics technologies, including motion capture, surface electromyography, and force platforms. These activities will show how we can explore real-life situations (e.g. fall prevention, the NFL combine, and strength training). They will also demonstrate to students how the concepts that they are currently learning in their high school STEM classes, such as biology and physics, applies to the world around them since biomechanics is the study of physics acting on the living organisms.