Rachel Katch, SVSU student from St. Charles, has athletic trainer research presented at Illinois gathering

2014 Mar 28

From examining the Gatorade-like effect of chocolate milk on exhausted athletes to researching whether an iPad app can act as a substitute to traditional methods of examining a patient's mobility, Saginaw Valley State University students during the recent Great Lakes Athletic Trainers Association conference shared research projects on a wide range of topics.

Rachel Katch, an athletic training major from St. Charles, was one of the 30 students whose projects were presented at the annual athletic trainer-geared event in Wheeling, Ill., from Wednesday to Saturday, March 12-15.

Katch's research involved documenting the treatment of a hamstring injury for a man injured during a waterskiing crash. Katch also researched the degree of contamination on CPR manikins — life-sized human models used in education — following the model's use in training, the effects of a long spine board versus a vacuum mattress in regards to the comfort of patients who suffered spine injuries, and the emergency planning for sudden cardiac events in Michigan high schools. The latter project was funded in part by the Allen Foundation Student/Faculty Research Grant.

"Our students have worked extremely hard on these projects over many months," said Eric Brooks, SVSU's assistant professor of kinesiology. "To be recognized by our district organization is quite an honor and is testament to their persistence."

Eight of the students presented their research results orally and earned a scholarship to cover the cost of the meeting.

"Conducting undergraduate research is becoming a vital component of many healthcare professional programs, and we hope the results of the GLATA meeting will encourage more of not only our students -- but others -- to become actively involved in the process," said David Berry, an SVSU associate professor of kinesiology and athletic training program director.

This March meeting marked the third consecutive year SVSU students have attended. Students already are planning their research projects for next year's meeting.