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October 28, 2010

Regional sports medicine tour kicks off at ULM, only Louisiana university chosen

ULM was one of five stops for the Southeast Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine Fall Lecture Tour, which began on Monday, Oct. 25. The free and highly informational event was made possible through the generosity of title sponsor, The Wellness Center.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe was the only Louisiana university chosen for the tour, which featured keynote speaker Dr. Duane Knudson, professor of biomechanics and chair of the Health and Human Performance Department at Texas State University.

Knudson discussed "Dysfunctional Anatomy: Why Biomechanics is Essential" for a packed audience at Brown Theatre, and is the author of several books on the subject. Biomechanics, an academic sub-discipline of kinesiology, seeks to better understand the laws, principles and causes of movement in living things. While the terminology may seem foreign to the average layperson, biomechanics is particularly useful for professionals whose job it is to assist others, such as professional athletes, who must incorporate extreme physical movements during the course of their careers.

"For example, there has been a significant increase in golfers who use biomechanics to improve their game," explained Knudson. "There are even biomechanical analysis programs and personal 'swing coaches' being offered now at clubs across the country."

Knudson earned his Ph.D. in biomechanics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has held tenured positions at Baylor University and California State University, Chico. Students of kinesiology, engineering, zoology and orthopedic medicine are just a few among many professional areas of study that are represented in the growing number of university biomechanical programs.

"Our college was honored to host the SEACSM fall lecture tour on our campus. This was a tremendous educational opportunity for students and professionals. The lecture included new and industry-relevant studies, great visual demonstrations and applied information. My Ph.D. is in Kinesiology so I especially enjoyed the lecture and having Dr. Kudnson visit our campus.," said Dr. Sandi Lemoine, dean of the College of Education and Human Development.

"We are extremely grateful to The Wellness Center for helping making this lecture possible," said Kinesiology Department Head Dr. Lisa Colvin. "Being able to recruit and offer a speaker of this magnitude exemplifies international leadership in allied health education, and provides testament to the strength of the kinesiology department at ULM."

The Department of Kinesiology at ULM is part of the College of Education and Human Development, and is fully accredited through the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Kinesiology undergraduates may choose an exercise science concentration, which was among the first to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. The graduate program in exercise physiology was the first nationally accredited program of its kind.

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