My name is Zach Glenore, and I am a freshman at OSU studying kinesiology with plans to add the pre-therapy and allied health option. I’m working toward a future in physical therapy. I worked on a research project about lower extremity injuries, specifically in the ankle. I worked on feasibility testing by having participants do a single-legged stance on a force plate wearing stroboscopic goggles. These goggles were meant to disturb participants' vision and test their stability in relation to their ankle and vision. I worked on this project with Cathleen Crowell, Seok Jae Choe, Michael Soucy, and several other undergraduate lab assistants.  

I have always had an interest in research. In high school, I took two years of research classes learning the basics of conducting and analyzing research papers. That, with my background of being a student athletic trainer for four years, sent me into a deep dive into the kinesiology field. Once I got into OSU, I started looking for more opportunities to combine the research and kinesiology experience and found URSA and Healthy Discoveries were an outlet for both. I found research projects already going on and being created in fields of interest for undergraduate students like me and I applied and interviewed until I got accepted into a project.  

This experience came with a plethora of challenges to overcome, such as being entirely new to the biomechanics research field. I had to quickly learn how to use a variety of equipment such as setting up and calibrating motion cameras and force plates, learning to dissect and read research articles, and learning how to work in a research environment.  

This experience was surprising in a variety of ways. The process was set up to introduce research to people with a variety of experiences ranging from almost none to months or years of experience. The process was also more hands-on than I first expected. At certain points in the process, I was in control of the research being conducted.  Whether running the force plate calibration and setting up the motion cameras or being a test participant and running through the testing process, I was able to get hands-on experience every day.  

In the future, I see myself continuing to participate in research here at OSU until I graduate and move on to graduate school for physical therapy.   

What was your path to OSU?  

My path to OSU has been rather traditional. OSU was my first choice and dream school throughout high school.

I knew I wanted to major in kinesiology, so in high school I worked as a student athletic trainer, took research classes that allowed me to spend two years researching sports psychology and joined my high school’s Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) club to get a head start on the subject.

Why are you interested in research?

I became interested in research as I learned about the latest information and developments in sports psychology. Since then, getting into the research process expanded my curiosity into different fields.

As I learned more about anatomy and physiology, I became more interested in biomechanics and wanted to learn more about developments in that field.

Each step, from learning research processes to becoming interested in different subjects, has carried on to the next.

Why did you want to be part of Healthy Discoveries?

I want to be a part of Healthy Discoveries so I can share my experience and show others the benefits and fun of doing research.

What research will you be working on and with whom?

I'm currently working on research about chronic ankle instabilities, testing single-leg ankle stability when eyesight is disturbed using stroboscopic glasses.

We're working on adding evidence that those with chronic ankle instability will rely more heavily on their other senses, such as eyesight, to make up for their ankle instability.

I'm currently doing this research with Cathleen Crowell, Seok Jae and Michael Soucy.

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What are your future career or academic plans?

My current future career and academic plans are to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy, specialize in sports physical therapy and work as a physical therapist.