Video by Ashur Lockrem
The fifth annual College of Health and Human Sciences Research Day took place on March 5 in the Colorado State University Lory Student Center showcasing the breadth and depth of research within the College.
CHHS Research Day was the brainchild of Dean Lise Youngblade who launched the event to spark collaboration, display discovery and innovation, and celebrate the impactful research conducted by students, staff, and post-doctoral researchers across the college.
At the morning Poster Show, 98 presenters including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, and post-docs shared their research through short talks with visitors and judges, using their posters as the reference point for the discussions.
All of the research presented revolved around bettering the human experience and represented the College’s mission of promoting physical, mental, and social well-being.
Judge scoring determined winning poster presentations and award-winners were announced at the end of the day. A sample of the award-winning research presentations included using natural dyes to create sustainable clothing, the release of ATP from red blood cells during hypoxia, inclusive design of campus housing for undocumented students, and the influence of augmented reality head-mounted display devices on individual awareness of job hazards.
Keynote speaker
This year, the keynote address was given by Kris Osterberg (’92, ’97), the leading principal scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute and leader of research efforts at their satellite location located at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Osterberg received her B.S. in exercise and sport science (now health and exercise science) from CSU in 1992. She continued her CSU journey by earning her M.S. in food science and nutrition in 1997. During this time, she worked in Professor Chris Melby’s Nutrition and Metabolic Fitness Laboratory, where she researched the effects of resistance exercise on resting metabolic rate in women and the impact of caloric intake during exercise on post-exercise food consumption.
Following eight years at GSSI, she attended Virginia Tech University and received her Ph.D. in human nutrition, food, and exercise. Her dissertation research focused on the impact of probiotics and diet on metabolic health.
Osterberg’s speech, titled “Compasses and Clocks: Finding your path” shared the importance of enjoying the journey of finding one’s path in academia and careers.
“In life, finish lines and ticking clocks aren’t real,” Osterberg said. “They’re constructs, they’re subjective. They feel real because we say we want to accomplish XYZ and we want to do that by a certain date, or a certain age.”
Osterberg emphasized that truly understanding what your options are can clarify what your aspirations can be.
“Understanding your options helps you not only learn what you want to do, but who you want to be,” Osterberg said. “When your aspirations are more clear, it helps silence that ticking clock just a little bit. You can start to find some purpose in your smaller goals.”
After finishing her graduate coursework, Osterberg accepted an internship at the University of Northern Colorado at the age of 31. She reflected on that year during her talk and dubbed it one of the hardest years she’s experienced due to everything she was balancing in addition to completing the internship. However, Osterberg noted that the year she spent completing the internship opened many doors for her down the line.
“I’ve been so grateful that I actually took the time to do it,” Osterberg said. She went on to focus on important questions and purpose, saying if she could go back in time to give her younger self a message from that year, “I would say ‘keep your aspirations or why in sight. Keep your why clear and stay focused on the goals you need to do to accomplish your why.’”
“Don’t be so focused on the how,” Osterberg continued. “I think I made myself miserable that year asking, ‘how is this all going to work out for me?’ What I know now, is that the how is going to take care of itself. Doors are going to open for you in places that are completely unexpected and in ways that you can’t right now predict.”
Watch Osterberg’s full keynote address on the Research Day website.
Lightning talks
Following Osterberg’s keynote address, faculty and Dean’s Fellows gave four-minute lighting talks. Researchers in all eight of the College’s disciplines provided concise overviews of their work.
This year’s Dean’s Fellows are: Maureen Walsh, Health and Exercise Science; Megan Moran, Human Development and Family Studies; and Ross Atkinson, Education.
Walsh’s research focuses on how plant-based compounds could improve hallmarks of skeletal muscle and brain aging to keep people healthy longer as they age. Moran studies how mindfulness-based intervention can help prevent mental health issues in youth. Atkinson’s identity as a veteran led him to conduct research and present the impact writing workshops can have for veterans.
Listed are the eight faculty lightning talk presenters and what their research focuses on. View their talks and those of the Dean’s Fellows on the Research Day website.
Chris Harper, Construction Management
Positive construction workforce development
Lida Aflatoony, Design and Merchandising
Designing footwear for people with vision impairments
Charlie Hoxmeier, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Innovations in the brewing industry
Daniel Lark, Health and Exercise Science
Different ways to approach extracellular vesicles biology
Stephen Aichele, Human Development and Family Studies
How relationships effect the depression risk in older adults
Patti Davies, Occupational Therapy
The evolution of research in the brainwaves research lab
Alex Lange, Education
How colleges and universities live up to their missions of equality and inclusiveness for students
Annie Williford, Social Work
Scholarship that aims to address inequities that marginalized youth face
Research Day Poster Show award winners
Go to the CHHS Research Day Poster Show webpage for photos of each award winner and individual who submitted a poster for CHHS Research Day 2024. Additionally, find more images in the College of Health and Human Sciences Flickr. Congratulations to all the award winners!
2024 CHHS Research Day Poster Show award winners:
Top Honors – Undergraduate Research and Creativity
Valerie Bortolutti, Design and Merchandising
WHITE LOTUS: Using natural dyes to create sustainably made clothing
Applied Science Category – Distinction in Research
Rahul Chaudhari, Construction Management & Civil and Environmental Engineering
The Influence of Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display Devices on Individual Awareness of Job Hazards
Applied Science Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Naimul Hasan, Design and Merchandising
Machine Learning Integrated with In Vitro Experiments for Study of Drug Delivery from PLGA Micro/Nanoparticles
Basic Science Category – Distinction in Research
Scott Wrigley, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Beyond Dysbiosis: Elucidating Gut Microbiota Drivers of Cardiovascular Disease Comorbidities
Basic Science Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Darby Easterday, Health and Exercise Science
A novel approach to study the release of ATP from red blood cells during hypoxia
Behavioral and Social Science Category – Distinction in Research
Melissa Fenton, Human Development and Family Studies
Examining the Relationship Between Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation and LGBTQ+ College Student Mental Health: Findings from the Healthy Minds Study; 2021-2022
Behavioral and Social Science Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Viridiana Gonzalez Huizar, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Exploring Nutrition Counselor Perceptions in a six-week Nutrition Intervention Program in Cameroon, Africa: A Qualitative Study using Reflective Journaling
Clinical and Translational Science Category – Distinction in Research
Sarah Johnson, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Identifying Factors Contributing to Endothelial Function Responses to Chronic Blueberry Consumption in Postmenopausal Women with Above-Normal Blood Pressure
Clinical and Translational Science Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Isaac Bast, Health and Exercise Science
Quantifying Coordination Adaptations Induced by Split-Belt Treadmill Training in PwMS
Community Engaged Scholarship Category – Distinction in Research
Jessica Clifford, Food Science and Human Nutrition
Extension State-wide Nutrition Education Needs Assessment Survey Development
Community Engaged Scholarship Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
India Luxton, Sociology & Human Development and Family Studies
Market Days for Older Adults: Addressing Social Isolation and Food Insecurity at the Larimer County Farmer’s Market
Creative Artistry and Scholarship – Distinction in Research
Lida Aflatoony, Design and Merchandising
Beyond Functionality: Fashionable Adaptive Footwear for Individuals with Vision Impairment
Creative Artistry and Scholarship – Distinction in Graduate Research
Rachel Anderson, Design and Merchandising
New or Used: The Shift in Consumption and the Role Retailers Play in Promoting Second-Hand Clothing
and
Karime Marrufo Legarda, Design and Merchandising
Inclusive design of campus housing facilities for undocumented students
Equity and Social Justice Category – Distinction in Research
Jessica Gonzalez-Voller, Education
Feasibility Results of the AYUDA Intervention: Psychosocial Support for Underserved Spanish-Speaking Latinas Undergoing Breast Cancer Treatment
Equity and Social Justice Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Sarah Silvas-Berstein, Design and Merchandising
Undressing the Myth: A Visual Culture Analysis of the Style Narratives of Laura Evans
Public Health Category – Distinction in Research
Brigid McDonnell, Food Science and Human Nutrition
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of EFNEP Utilizing Biomarkers of Chronic Disease Risk
Public Health Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Annika Weber, Food Science and Human Nutrition & Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences
The gut microbiota-targeted treatment of severe acute malnutrition using rice bran in ready-to-use therapeutic foods: A randomized controlled trial in Indonesia
Science of Teaching and Learning Category – Distinction in Research
Cecilia Anakor, Construction Management
Craftworker Training: Impact of Training Quality on Project Performance
Science of Teaching and Learning Category – Distinction in Graduate Research
Suzie Linihan, Design and Merchandising
Using Design-Thinking to Inform Instructional Design for High School Students
Find out more about the Poster Show, Lightning Talks, Keynote Speaker, and Awards Ceremony at the CHHS Research Day Website!
