Engaging in research strengthens the undergraduate experience
Three years might not seem like a long time in the world of research, but it represents three quarters of Emily Jones’ undergraduate education. For six semesters, she’s worked with Kevin McCully, professor of kinesiology in the College of Education, in his exercise muscle physiology laboratory—an experience that has had a strong impact on her academic career and future plans.
Daily work in the lab consists of developing noninvasive methods and technologies to study muscles, circulation, and the response to exercise, mostly in populations that have chronic injuries or illnesses.
“My current study is comparing muscle fatigue to perceived muscle fatigue in older versus younger adults. The goal is to determine if there is a correlation between when someone says they’re tired and what their muscles represent,” Jones said.
Currently, McCully has more than 20 students working in his lab, and the majority are undergraduates.
“I definitely use their efforts to help learn things I didn’t know before. I also think having a lot of creative, hard-working, enthusiastic kids in a laboratory changes the atmosphere. Our laboratory has a very different vibe or atmosphere than many science labs. When you study human beings, having a lab that’s very positive is great,” he said.