Gymnastics is a competitive sport requiring athletes to maintain rigorous training schedules. Athletes typically train and compete for one or more events. However, there is minimal research to determine the physiological and nutritional changes during a season. The purpose of the present investigation is to examine body composition, nutrition, and menstrual cycles during a competitive season. Division III gymnasts are completing dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) testing, measuring body composition, at the beginning and end of the season. Weekly nutrition logs are being collected during three months of the season, January, February and March, to determine macro and micronutrient intakes. Menstrual cycles are also being tracked during these months. If any injuries are obtained during the season, they are reported to the researchers. The data collected from this study can help determine physiological and nutritional demands for different events and athletes in gymnastics. This can help improve training practices for sport and strength and conditioning coaches.
Preseason testing for college athletes helps establish training plans and athlete profiles. Jump testing with force plates has become popular, but less is known about the relationship between force and power with body composition in basketball. PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between body composition and jump performance of Division III men’s and women’s basketball players (MBP, WBP) during preseason. METHODS: 13 WBP and 11 MBP players completed two preseason testing sessions. During session one participants completed double and single leg jump testing on a force plate, which analyzed reactive strength index (RSI), peak power (PP), eccentric duration (ECCD), eccentric force (ECCF), and jump height. During session two, participants completed a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan that measured total/regional body fat percentage (BF), lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM). RESULTS: Results showed significant negative correlations (p
Carbon-plated (CP) shoes have become popular amongst runners with recreational and elite runners using them for training and competition. PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of CP shoes on high-speed running performance in collegiate cross country (XC) runners. METHODS: Nine male varsity Division III XC runners (age: 19.1 ± 2.9 years, peak oxygen consumption (VO2): 65.4 ± 5.1 ml/kg/min) completed a VO2 peak test to determine their 70, 80 and 90% velocities of VO2 peak. The test was run in their traditional non-CP shoes (OWN). Participants then completed two experimental trials, in random order, consisting of running three minutes stages at 70% (14.1 ± 0.8 km/h), 80% (16.1 ± 1.0 km/h) and 90% (18.1 ± 1.1 km/h) velocities of VO2 peak in OWN and CP shoes. During each of the trials participants had blood lactate, ratings of perceived exertion, heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio, ventilation, respiratory rate, and VO2 measured. A two way (shoe x stage) repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyze potential differences. RESULTS: There were no interaction (shoe x stage) effects for any variable (p > 0.05). No main effects were observed for shoe type for any variable (p > 0.05). Specifically, relative VO2 results remained unchanged across each trial (CP: 52.6 ± 5.1 ml/kg/min vs. OWN: 52.6 ± 6.4ml/kg/min, p = 0.991). However, there were significant main effects (p < 0.001) in each variable for stage, showing increases as physiological responses as exercise intensity increased. CONCLUSION: This study shows that while CP are popular amongst runners, there were no differences in high-speed running. Individuals should determine if the CP shoes benefit their individual running needs based on distances and goals.
Background/Purpose: Caffeine is one of the commonly used pre-exercise supplements, yet limited research has examined the optimal timing of ingestion prior to resistance training. The aim of this study is to investigate the optimal timing of ingesting caffeine with habitual consumers prior to engaging in resistance training. Methods: Nine university students participated in one repetition maximum (1RM) testing to calculate the resistance at 70% of 1RM during their leg and bench press sets post caffeine (4 mg/kg) or placebo (flour) trials. Participants underwent four randomized trials including caffeine-ingestion 30-minute prior to exercise (CAF-30), placebo 30-minute prior (CON-30), caffeine 60-minute prior (CAF-60), and placebo 60-minute prior (CON-60). Participants completed these trials documenting three sets per exercise trial until failure. Heart rate (HR) and relative perceived exertion (RPE) were also noted. Results: Outcome measures were averaged across the three sets for leg and bench press repetitions, RPE, and a percent drop in number of repetitions from initial and final sets. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance revealed no statistically significant difference in these outcome measures across the four trials, p > .05. Conclusions: Caffeine consumption 30-60 minutes prior to resistance training had no impact on muscular endurance, RPE, or fatiguability.
This project highlights two collaborative course design projects within the Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program. As part of a recent curriculum revision, faculty partnered with undergraduate students to co-create two new PETE courses, integrating student perspectives into content selection, learning activities, and assessment strategies. Throughout the process, the undergraduate students helping to create these courses learned about collaboration, gained insight into their professional beliefs about teaching and learning, and experienced the process of creating a new university course from the ground up. Attendees will learn about the collaborative process, practical benefits, and lessons learned while also gaining ideas for involving students as co-creators in teacher preparation programs. KINS 321: PE Curriculum Models & Teaching Styles prepares future physical educators to better understand the fundamentals of teaching styles and curriculum models while expanding their pedagogical knowledge. Students will engage in authentic learning experiences to apply their knowledge of teaching styles and curriculum models. KINS 322: Measurement & Assessment in PE highlights implementing assessments into the physical education classroom. With students being co-creators, they were able to reflect on their own personal experiences with assessment in previous courses, which helped to formulate different topics that would be discussed.
Little is known about how students in speech, language, and hearing sciences perceive the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in their lives as learners and future clinicians. This study aims to capture SLHS students' perspectives on the potential pros and cons of AI through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT). SDT holds that well-being depends on the satisfaction of three psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness (social connection). Using a qualitative focus group design, students will first be introduced to SDT and discuss factors and experiences in student life that affect their sense of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. Students will then engage in guided peer discussions focused specifically on the use of AI, how it may positively and negatively impact the three SDT dimensions now and in the future. Data collection is ongoing. We anticipate that findings will reveal nuanced perspectives that can inform pedagogical and curricular strategies to help our program leverage the potential benefits of AI for student well-being while mitigating risks.
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work to provide inclusive services to children with both disabilities and medical illnesses and SLPs services often include use of children’s books. Further, research indicates that representation within children's books can shape identity and feelings of belonging. The purpose of this project was to understand the current literature related to representation of illness and disability in children’s books. To achieve this goal, we located and reviewed published research articles on this topic. We analyzed how they defined illness and disability, the specific types that were included in their analyses, and how they completed the analyses. Findings revealed varied definitions of illness and disability situated within both the medical model and social model of disability and illness. Additional findings revealed a range of methods of studying representation, including descriptive categorization and in-depth qualitative analysis of representation. These findings will inform the next phase of our research, which will be designed to better understand how SLPs conceptualize illness and disability and how this influences their selection of children’s books for use in their practices.
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) serve an increasingly diverse population, necessitating the need to understand the impact of microaggressions. Microaggressions are unintentional and often subtle acts of discrimination that can result from often unconscious beliefs. They can occur within everyday interactions. The purpose of this study was to better understand elementary school SLPs’ perceptions of the impact of microaggressions experienced by the students they serve within the school setting. Eight elementary school SLPs were interviewed to understand their perceptions. Their interviews were qualitatively analyzed to understand the types of microaggressions experienced within the school settings and the impact of those microaggressions. Findings revealed a variety of microaggressions experienced by both the children the SLPs served and the SLPs themselves. Additionally, SLPs perceived multiple impacts on students including effects on their self-perception, decreased self-efficacy, and reduced feelings of trust, safety, and belonging. SLPs also described impact on themselves including reduced self-efficacy within their role, misunderstandings of scope of practice, and feeling othered within the workplace. Findings will help current and future professionals understand the potential impacts of microaggressions, ultimately leading to higher quality care for children of all backgrounds.
Our research question is, “How does an individual’s access to transportation impact their ability to shape the policies in the community that they live in and the services they engage in?” Much research has been done concerning access to transportation as a social determinant of health; however, there is a gap in research addressing how access to transportation impacts an individual's ability to engage with and shape the policies that impact them. We conducted a literature review concerning transportation justice and spatial justice as one area of focus, and access to transportation as a social determinant of health as another area of focus. With this background information, we began conducting interviews with those who engage with the public transportation system in the area, including bus riders, bus drivers, advocates, service providers, and city officials. The purpose of these interviews was to integrate experiential local knowledge. The goal of the literature review and integration of experiential local knowledge is to develop tools that will be used to develop community surveys and focus groups that will then allow us to draw conclusions around the primary question.
Neurodiversity is defined as any deviation from typical brain functioning. Neurodivergence remains underdiagnosed and under researched among females due to societal expectations, pressures, and gendered stereotypes. Female-identifying neurodivergent college students report elevated anxiety, depression, and social isolation relative to neurotypical peers, yet their voices remain underrepresented in campus research. Masking behaviors including suppressing neurodivergent traits to fit societal norms, contribute to increased pressure, burnout, and concerns regarding students' overall well-being, mental health, and retention in higher education.This mixed-methods study examines how neurodivergence shapes well-being across academic, social, and health domains among female-identifying students at UW-Eau Claire (UWEC). Grounded in Ryff's positive psychology framework, this research emphasizes identifying strengths and flourishing rather than solely focusing on deficits. We will administer an anonymous survey collecting demographic information and the 42-item Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale. The scale's six domains autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, and self-acceptance will inform focus group interview questions designed to capture both challenges and strengths. Through thematic analysis of semi-structured focus group discussions, we will identify patterns related to psychological well-being. Findings will provide evidence-based, strengths-based recommendations to UWEC departments for improving campus culture, accessibility, and targeted interventions supporting the well-being and academic success of female-identifying neurodivergent students.
This qualitative study explores how community-level stigma affects transgender individuals, focusing on how stigma is experienced, maintained, and resisted within their communities. Guided by input from a community advisory board, researchers conducted interviews using a constructivist grounded theory approach with transgender participants to better understand these dynamics and support community resilience. Findings will inform future research and interventions aimed at reducing stigma and promoting equity.
In recent years, professors have increased their use of screencast resources, implementing a flipped classroom approach rather than a traditional learning style. This study aims to explore undergraduate students' perceptions and engagement with screencast lectures in one foundational course: SLHS 262 – Phonetics. Various studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of screencast material and the flipped classroom approach (e.g., Phillips & Wiesbauer, 2022). This study takes this idea one step further, exploring student perceptions of screencasts, student engagement with screencasts, the relationship between these variables, and how they relate to students’ expected final grade in the course. An online survey was sent to students enrolled in the Phonetics course near the end of the semester in three consecutive terms. The survey included questions about students’ engagement with screencasts and their feelings concerning the effectiveness of the screencast materials for that specific course. Data analysis is underway, but we hypothesize variable perceptions and engagement with screencasts; we further hypothesize that there is a relationship between students’ perceived importance of screencast material and the letter grade students expect to receive in the course.
The current study aims to examine the experiences and perspectives of Wisconsin residents with brain injury about medical, social, and case management services. About 20,000 people sustain brain injuries in Wisconsin per year (WI DHS, 2025). Nationwide, people with brain injuries report unmet needs, particularly in the chronic stages of recovery. Unmet needs typically include specialized services and referrals, mental health services, and ongoing cognitive-communication supports during chronic recovery. 180 individuals affected by brain injuries within the State of Wisconsin were recruited for this study. We distributed a survey via Qualtrics and paper copies. Questions related to demographics, brain injury history, use and adequacy of services, and perspectives on these services. All data has been collected, and analysis is ongoing. We predict respondents will report using a variety of medical, social, and case management services, but will also report a variety of unmet needs.
Parents of children with language disorders frequently face feelings of ambivalence when having to make decisions about their child’s care. Ambivalence can be characterized as conflicting feelings about decisions related to their child’s care and education. Our study examines how ambivalence manifests in conversations between a speech language pathologist (SLP) and a mother of a kindergartener currently receiving speech and language services. Counseling conversations, informed by motivational interviewing principles, between the SLP and mother were recorded and collected for more than a year. Transcriptions of these conversations were completed, and initial analysis is presented. The results of our study provide insight for SLPs collaborating with caregivers navigating ambivalence in clinical decisions.
Much research explores the representation of children with disabilities broadly in children’s picture book, including themes related to identity and agency as represented in everyday life of characters. Our study specifically explores how children who are stuttered are represented in children’s picture books. We ask the question, “How is the agency of characters who stutter represented in children’s picture books?” Initial data was collected from 20 children’s picture books. Qualitative research methods were employed to illuminate patterns of representation. Cyclical analysis of the data set, using a constant comparison approach and consensus building, provided for the creation of multiple categories and patterns of representation related to character agency. These patterns of representation have great significance, as children’s literature serves as a tool for promoting communication confidence and resilience. Understanding how agency is portrayed through characters who stutter can be important for a speech-language pathologist, as book selections and narratives promoting empowerment of agency can result in positive intervention outcomes.
This research and resulting community education outreach project aims to meet the needs of the rural population of agricultural workers in their environment to address suicidality and mental health. Farm workers have the highest rate of death by suicide of any occupation. Farmers have a suicide rate that is 3x higher than the general population. Barriers such as limited mental health care access and stigma are main contributing factors. The community education outreach project is research-informed; research was conducted by reviewing preexisting literature and media. The goal of this project was to meet farmers in their rural communities. This researcher then conducted an educational campaign in partnership with local businesses to raise awareness in rural areas of Trempealeau and Eau Claire Counties about the Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Helpline. Local representatives were contacted to voice support for this vital resource to advocate on a policy change level. It is imperative that we meet farmers in their own environments to educate them about mental wellness and resources. Education about mental health is vital to reduce stigma and provide life-saving resources.
The term community‑level stigma appears across many areas of research, but it is not always defined in the same way. This project aims to take a broad look at how the concept is used in the existing literature and to identify the different terms or ideas that researchers apply when discussing stigma in a community context. Rather than evaluating how communities produce or respond to stigma, the goal of this review is simply to understand the range of approaches currently present in published work.In reviewing work from fields like public health, sociology, geography, and community psychology, this project will note how researchers use the term, the ideas they pair it with, and the places where definitions differ. Along the way, a range of related concepts is likely to appear, including terms such as social climate, place‑based stigma, territorial stigma, and intersectional stigma.The goal of this review is simply to pull together what is currently being said about community‑level stigma and to identify common patterns in how it is framed, described, and discussed.
This presentation examines exploratory cross-institutional findings on the experiences of college students in recovery from substance use, highlighting barriers to engagement and the critical role of recovery-supportive environments. Drawing from exploratory survey data at two universities, the study identifies strategies for reducing stigma, fostering peer connections, and expanding recovery-friendly policies on campus. The project demonstrates how social work education, through undergraduate research labs, can respond to accelerated change by producing actionable knowledge and mentoring future practitioners. Implications for practice, policy, and pedagogy underscore the role of social work in advancing recovery support in higher education.
Nutritional habits prior to exercise can influence metabolic process both during and after an exercise bout. Due to the negative impact of excess body fat on metabolic health, pre-exercise nutrition and exercise interventions that target improved fat oxidation following exercise are warranted. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the combined effects of pre-exercise nutrition interventions with high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) on post-exercise metabolic responses in overweight (OW) females. METHODS: Respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was measured in fifteen recreationally active OW females (n = 15, body fat percentage: 31.3 ± 3.9) at baseline (BASE), immediately post (IP) 30-min (30), and 60-min (60) post-HIRT. The following supplements were consumed by participants prior to completing each HIRT bout: carbohydrate (CHO), protein (PRO), caffeine (CAFF, 3 mg/kg body mass), or PRO+CAFF in a randomized, crossover, double-blind design. RER values were assessed via a 4 x 4 repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Data are presented as means ± SD. RER was not significantly different between any of the nutrition interventions (p > 0.05). However, independent of pre-exercise supplementation, HIRT significantly reduced RER at 30 (0.74 ± 0.05) and 60 (0.74 ± 0.05) post-exercise in comparison to BASE (0.81 ± 0.04; p < 0.001) and IP (0.77 ± 0.06; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Collectively, these findings support HIRT as an effective intervention for enhancing fat utilization up to one-hour post-exercise in OW females, independent of pre-exercise nutrition. Given the substantial time demands of traditional resistance training (>60 min), HIRT may offer a more time-efficient strategy for improving fat metabolism.
