Berks

Penn State Berks to host National Biomechanics Day on April 6

More than 220 students from 13 high schools visited Penn State Berks for the third annual National Biomechanics Day in 2019. This year, the college held 13 different workshops presented by faculty and research students, as well as clinicians from Penn State Health St. Joseph and Tower Health. Participants had the opportunity to visit the college’s Cadaver Lab, Gait Lab and Exercise Physiology Lab and work on a variety of hands-on activities. This event was sponsored by the Penn State Berks Human Movement and Research Center. National Biomechanics Day is an annual worldwide event, sponsored by the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB). The goal is to promote the study and awareness of biomechanics to future college students.   Credit: Photo Courtesy of Katie Quinn. All Rights Reserved.

WYOMISSING, Pa. -- The Penn State Berks Human Movement Research Center will host the college’s fifth annual National Biomechanics Day from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6. This year, approximately 200 high school students and their chaperones from 13 schools are expected to register for the program. Students and chaperones are encouraged to bring a bagged lunch with them.

Designed for high school students with an interest in science and engineering and, in particular, their applications to human movement, the event will include workshops conducted by Penn State Berks faculty, staff and research students, as well as clinicians from local hospitals. The event will also include interactive laboratory activities, school and career information, and time for questions.

More than a dozen workshops will be offered, including: the marvels of fluid flow, biomechanical applications of 3D scanning and printing, 3D motion analysis for biomechanics and CGI, the biomechanics of jumping, and using wearable sensors to measure motion.

Students will also have an opportunity to visit the college’s state-of-the-art facilities including the new Biomechanics and Gait Evaluation Lab and the new Exercise Physiology Lab – both located in the newly renovated and expanded Beaver Athletics and Wellness Center. Participants will also visit the Cadaver Lab, the only teaching cadaver laboratory in Berks County, and the Fluid Discovery Lab, the only open-access fluid dynamics lab in the Penn State system.

National Biomechanics Day is a worldwide celebration of biomechanics in its many forms for high school students and teachers, initiated by the American Society of Biomechanics.
This event is hosted by the Penn State Berks Human Movement Research Center, a multi-disciplinary collaborative research group consisting of Penn State Berks faculty with research, education and outreach interests related to enhancing human movement and improving life. Bringing together expertise from kinesiology, engineering, mathematics, psychology, and other disciplines allows the research team to address important questions about human movement from a broad perspective.

For additional information about National Biomechanics Day, contact Joseph Mahoney, associate professor of mechanical engineering and kinesiology, at jmm694@psu.edu, or visit https://sites.psu.edu/hmrc/nbd2022/.

 

Last Updated March 10, 2022