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Wed, 27 Mar 2019 15:46:34 +0000

Penn State Berks to host National Biomechanics Day on April 10 admin Wed, 03/27/2019 - 11:46
Penn State Berks will celebrate National Biomechanics Day on April 7, 2021. This year the event will be virtual in the form of a LionSide Chat webinar from 10 to 11 a.m. titled "National Biomechanics Day: A Virtual Experience with Penn State Berks."
Credit: Provided Expand March 27, 2019
READING, Pa. -- The Penn State Berks Human Movement and Research Center will host the college’s third annual National Biomechanics Day from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10. This year, approximately 250 high school students and their chaperones from 13 schools are registered for the program –– nearly double the attendance from last year’s event. Light refreshments will be provided.

Designed for high school students interested 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 but not limited to: the marvels of fluid flow, and biomechanical applications of 3D scanning and printing, both in the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building; 3D motion analysis for biomechanics and CGI, and the biomechanics of jumping, both in the Beaver Community Center; and using wearable sensors to measure motion in the Luerssen Science Building.

Students will also have an opportunity to visit the college’s state-of-the-art facilities, including the Motion Capture Lab, Virtual Reality Lab, 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.

Students and chaperones are encouraged to bring a bagged lunch with them, and Penn State Berks will supply snacks and drinks for the students. The Cyber Café also will be open for attendees to purchase sandwiches and other lunch items. This year, participants will receive an event t-shirt.

National Biomechanics Day is a worldwide celebration of biomechanics in its many forms for high school students and teachers, sponsored by the American Society of Biomechanics.

This event is sponsored 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, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, at JMM694@psu.edu, or visit https://sites.psu.edu/hmrc/nbd2019/.