Graduate Student Directory

Zachary Bigalke’s research focuses on the intersection of sport and identity formation, with a focus on the use of international tournaments to integrate immigrant athletes into national communities and the use of sport to reinforce local and regional identities.

Aaron’s research focuses on the language, reporting, and discussion associated with sport, with an emphasis on political and media institutions and how these structures discuss, argue, and connect with politics, national identity, and other issues through sport.

Ana’ s research interests are physiological and psychological effects of exercise in women, with a focus on energy availability, reproductive function, and disordered eating in gymnasts and female athletes in general. 

Danny’s research uses motion capture, computer modeling, and data processing techniques to examine the mechanisms by which our feet can influence/contribute to walking, running, and jumping performance.

Lucas D. Elliott’s research focuses on physical activity/active travel disparities throughout underserved populations in order to understand how communities can engage and promote in promotive practices.

Logan Faux-Dugan’s research investigates the relationships between achilles tendon moment arms and triceps surae muscle architecture parameters and implications for locomotion in human populations.

Owen Griffith’s research interests include management of sports concussion and mild traumatic brain injury in student-athlete populations.

Kavya’s research focuses on the effects of load stimuli across growth on multiple facets of adult musculoskeletal health, including locomotor energetics, joint mechanics, and muscle/tendon properties.

Physiological aspects: Protein synthesis and muscle growth, Muscle dysfunction along with muscle atrophy

Functional aspects:  Performance enhancement with multiple perspectives,  Disease recovery and Injury rehabilitation through exercise intervention

Emily Lundstrom’s research examines energy, metabolism and factors related to performance in athletes as it pertains to health and performance optimization

Candice Maenza’s research involves using kinematics, clinical functional performance testing, structural MRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging to answer questions regarding ipsilesional upper-extremity impairment in chronic stroke survivors.

Taliah’s research focus is on play, games and the good life.

Joseph Ricotta’s research uses the physical approach to motor control to investigate the mechanisms of biological movement.

Tom Rorke’s research examines the history and contemporary sociology of ice hockey and other team sports, how gender is performed and regulated in sport and physical activity, and emerging ethical issues in sport and physical activity.

Isabella Teti’s research focuses on resistance training and interval training during pregnancy, reduction of postpartum opioid use, and exercise dependence in young adults.

Ms. Williams' research is on women's cardiovascular health, specifically focusing on the mechanisms of vascular dysfunction seen in endometriosis. 

Jisung’s research utilizes motion analysis and neuromodulation to investigate hemispheric lateralization and inter-hemispheric transfer of motor learning.