PhD Students
Program: Bioenergetics & Exercise Science and MS in Kinesiology – Both with Biomechanics & Motor Control concentrations
Research Project : Investigating the impact of COVID-19 on motor control outcomes, specifically oculomotor control, postural control, and cortical activity
Graduation Year: 2025
Plans after Graduation: Work in academia teaching and pursuing research
Program : Biomechanics and Motor Control
Research Project : Establishing gaze behavior strategies of baseball batters in live scenarios; investigating the transfer of training between virtual reality and live baseball hitting; growing sport science at ECU
Graduation Year : 2026
Plans after Graduation : Taylor plans to use sport science as a tool to bridge the domains of a high performance unit to promote health and well being and bolster the performance of athletes
MS Students working the Lab
Joshua Lawton
Program: Kinesiology, Concentration in Biomechanics and Motor Control
Research Project: Using EEG and Brain Computer Interface to Control a Robotic Arm with Brain Waves. Coding will be done in Python using BCI 2000.
Graduation year: 2023
Plans After Graduation: Josh will pursue his Ph.D after graduation in hopes of working with the military in concussion detection and prevention.
Jacob Kuchmaner
Program: Sport and Exercise Psychology
Research Project: Exploring Quiet Eye Mechanisms in Baseball Pitchers – We are looking at how a pitcher’s gaze behavior is related to throwing accuracy in low pressure and high pressure pitching tasks.
Graduation Year: 2023
Plans after graduation: After graduation Jacob plans to train athletes, particularly baseball athletes.
Riley Warlick
Program: Kinesiology, Exercise Physiology
Research Project: The Influence of Fatigue on Decision-Making in Adults with mTBI
Graduation Year: 2023
Plans After Graduation: After graduation, Riley will be attending medical school at Lincoln Memorial University and plans to practice as a physician in rural primary care.
Jermey Praski
Program: Biomechanics and Motor Control
Research Project: Determining the Effects of Lower Extremity Muscle Exhaustion on Pitching Mechanics
Graduation Year: 2024
Plans After Graduation: Jeremy plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Sports Science and Biomechanics of athletes.
Trent Hohenstreier
Program: Sport and Exercise Psychology
Research Project: Exploring the Relationship Between Social Media, Well-being, and Team Cohesion
Graduation Year: 2024
Plans After Graduation: Trent plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology
Undergraduates working in the lab
Student Research Opportunities
There are many research opportunities within the VML for both undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate and undergraduate research opportunities are available through projects related to thesis, independent study, practicums, or independent research projects. Research assistantships for graduate students are often available. The VML provides students with the opportunity to work on faculty lead projects or their own innovative research projects.
Recent undergraduate projects include:
- Comparison of slow-releasing vs. high glycemic carbohydrate supplementation to improve mental performance following exhaustive exercise
- Neurological evidence of quiet eye in expert and novice golfers
- Enhanced Sensorimotor Kinematics Of The Baseball Swing In Elite Batters
Recent graduate student projects include:
- Cognitive demands of gait retraining
- The relationships between muscle force steadiness and visual steadiness in young and old adults
- Comparison of visual fixation patterns and tracking methods used by NCAA Division-I female volleyball players
- Gaze control in collegiate players during the hitting phase of softball
- Eye movement and attentional control as marker for freezing in Parkinson’s disease
- Implicit versus explicit self-defense training on self-efficacy, affect, and subjective well-being.
