Seven Athletic Training Seniors Have Research Accepted for Statewide Presentation
Wilmington College's athletic training program continued its winning streak in the area of student research as Alyssa McKenzie won the top undergraduate research award at the 2020 Ohio Athletic Training Association's Annual Conference and Symposium held virtually in May.
PICTURED: Alyssa McKenzie
The 2020 graduate from Adrian, Mich., was among seven Wilmington College seniors to have their research presented as digital poster presentations and, subsequently, have their research abstracts published in the Ohio Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences.
Dr. Erika Goodwin, vice president for academic affairs and strategic initiatives and dean of the faculty, applauded McKenzie for her work, titled "Rodeo Athletes' Perception on Head Injuries; Focusing on Concussions," which she co-authored along with Jennifer Walker, associate professor of athletic training.
“Presenting her research at the state conference, having her abstracts published and winning this award provide a testament to Alyssa's tenacity and diligence — this is just a foreshadowing of a successful career to come.”
McKenzie is the 12th student under Goodwin's mentorship in the past 17 years to win the state's top award.
The other seniors whose research was featured are: Jeffery Clydesdale, "Athletic Trainers Provide a Positive Outlet to Athletes' Injuries and Mental State During Summer Travel Baseball Season," co-authored by Goodwin and Dr. J. Brett Massie, associate professor of athletic training; Jillia Cook, "Collegiate Student Athletes Show No Gender Bias Towards Athletic Trainers," co-authored by Goodwin and Walker; Emily Rinehart, "High School Athletic Director Expectations of Athletic Trainers Inconsistency Within Prevention and Practice Domains," co-authored by Walker and Goodwin.
Also, Kassidy Esser, "The Comfort Level of High School Athletic Trainers When Dealing with Mental Health Conditions," co-authored by Goodwin and Walker; Meghan Koch, "Do Amounts of Stress and Anxiety Lead to a Higher Injury Rate Among Student Athletes?" co-authored by Walker and Goodwin; and Taylor Flannigan, "High School Student-Athletes' Parents Show Limited Understanding of Qualifications and Skills of Athletic Trainers," co-authored by Goodwin and Walker.
Goodwin said Wilmington College holds a prominent place at the annual OATA conference and regularly has the most student poster presentations selected for the symposium.
“This really puts the College’s ‘hands-on learning’ into practice,” she added. “It’s one thing to take a class on research and statistics in athletic training and to do a project for the class, but it’s a whole different experience when you actually disseminate it and share your findings in the literature and at a conference with interested colleagues.
“That really instills a lasting impression in our students.”
