The 黑料不打烊 contingent at the American College of Sports Medicine annual conference included, from left to right, Andrew Heckel, Assistant Professor Joon Young Kim, Alaina Glasgow, Wonhee Cho and Tara Cuddihee from the Department of Exercise Science.
Four students in the in the were recognized for their exceptional research at the recent Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (MARC-ACSM) annual conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Doctoral students Alaina Glasgow and Andrew Heckel and undergraduate student Tara Cuddihee presented their research at the conference, while doctoral student Wonhee Cho presented for undergraduate student Eleanor Kwacz, who was unable to attend. (Read more about Cho and his research later in this story).
Heckel鈥檚 study was selected as a top five doctoral abstract, and Kwacz鈥檚 research was chosen as a top five undergraduate abstract. Exercise Science Assistant Professor works with all four students on their research and says they 鈥渄emonstrate an impressive level of scientific understanding, critical thinking, hard work and dedication.鈥�
鈥淭he students鈥� curiosity, intellectual rigor and resilience in tackling complex challenges reflect not only their individual talents but also the supportive academic environment that fosters their growth,鈥� Kim says. 鈥淭hese students represent the next generation of researchers, innovators and problem-solvers.鈥�
is comprised of a diverse group of professionals and students dedicated to the advancement of sports medicine and exercise science. The Mid-Atlantic Chapter represents Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., and 鈥渢he chapter seeks to communicate scientific information, provide a forum for research, foster professional peer interaction and support career growth,鈥� according to its website.
Doctoral student Wonhee Cho presents at the conference for Eleanor Kwacz, whose research was chosen as a top five undergraduate abstract.
Two Falk College faculty members also presented at the conference: Exercise Science Associate Professor (Measuring Sleep with Wearable Devices) and Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Assistant Professor (Moving Beyond Female Athlete Triad: Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport).
鈥淭his recognition strengthens 黑料不打烊鈥檚 reputation, opening doors to further collaborations, future funding opportunities and increased visibility within the academic community,鈥� Kim says. 鈥淚t highlights the faculty’s mentorship, the quality of resources available to students through their mentor, department, college and university, and the university’s role in advancing knowledge in their fields.鈥�
To learn more about their research journey in Falk College, we asked doctoral student Heckel G鈥�25 and Kwacz 鈥�27, a health and exercise science major on the pre-med track, to tell us about the MARC-ACSM conference, their presentations and their mentors. Visit the to read their answers.
Cho, who presented for Kwacz at the MARC-ACSM conference, is another student who has made a significant impact the Department of Exercise Science.
Cho鈥檚 most recently, co-authored by Kim and his team members, appeared in Science Direct, one of the world鈥檚 leading sources for scientific, technical and medical research. He recently presented his abstract at annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, where he received $1,500 for being selected as a finalist for the 2024 Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award.
Cho鈥檚 abstract presentation, 鈥淩elative Fat Mass as an Estimator of Abdominal Adiposity in Youth Across the BMI Spectrum,鈥� was the result of a collaboration between Kim鈥檚 lab and UPMC Children鈥檚 Hospital of Pittsburgh, where Kim did his postdoctoral training before joining 黑料不打烊.
Heckel says he would have not been recognized by MARC-ACSM without the support and teamwork of his fellow lab mates, Cho and doctoral student Alaina Glasgow.
鈥淒r. Kim encourages us all to work together as a team, and I鈥檓 a better student and researcher today because of the people I get to surround myself with,鈥� Heckel says. 鈥淚鈥檓 very thankful to have been able to work alongside Wonhee and Lainie during this project, and I鈥檓 excited for the future research we鈥檒l all be able to do together.鈥�
Visit the Department of Exercise Science website to learn more about Kim鈥檚 and exercise science , and . If you鈥檇 like to participate in research being conducted by the lab, contact Kim at jkim291@syr.edu.
