Relevant work experience is always needed for resumes but for many, it can be hard to come by. For exercise science students, an opportunity exists here on campus.
Dr. Jeff Bauer in the Kinesiology department has been leading research on Parkinson’s disease and how exercise can help improve the symptoms of it.
It provides an opportunity for students to gain real-world experience with hands-on research and do it all for a good cause.
“To have the opportunity to get this type of experience has been awesome and it has really opened my eyes to other career paths I didn’t really know about beforehand,” said Jared Wachtel, a junior who has been involved with the research for two semesters now. “Obviously the research is for a good cause but you learn a lot on how it is actually conducted. It went from being something I just wanted to help out with to something that I want to pursue further.”
During research sessions students involved with the project assist in the collection of data and work directly with the patients who are participating in the program. Students run the patients through a variety of procedures including monitoring blood pressure and heart rate before, during, and after the session.
The study aims to monitor the effects that exercise has on Parkinson’s symptoms and how it can be used to improve the quality of life among patients. Everything that is done during the research sessions provides hands-on experience for students.
“I had never done anything like this before I started working on this project outside of those mini research projects you do in 9th grade science class,” said Henry Lane, a junior also involved with the research. “I don’t know where else I would be able to find this kind of experience around here. I took what I did last semester and put it on my resume and within a few weeks of searching I was able to land an internship back home for this summer.”
While the experience is valuable it is also the eye opening to new possibilities that students are gaining from this research. In a field as big as exercise science the career prospects can be immense but also can be hard to find what niche someone wants to try and fit into.
“I had never really considered myself to be someone that would enjoy this type of stuff,” said Wachtel. “After the work I’ve done so far I’ve come to really enjoy the process of doing research and reaping the benefits of it. Now I’m at the point where you start thinking about your future even more and what I’ve realized is I want to keep doing stuff like this, I want to take my own interests and dive into research with it.”
The research has produced positive results for both students and participants alike. The project started in 2016 and has been going on strong ever since. Just this semester the project moved from its previous home within the professional studies building to the MacDonald building on Tompkins Ave.
“We were lucky enough to be granted the space within the MacDonald building to continue with our research this semester,” said Dr. Bauer. “It’s more of a community-orientated space and it allows us to have a friendlier feel to our research and continue striving for a good cause.”