CHCS - Perspectives Winter/Spring 2016

6 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Jeffrey Doeringer, Ph.D., ATC, recently completed research investigating the effects of cold-water immersion on athletic performance. The AT curriculum provides a balance between classroom instruction and clinical experience that allows students to begin fieldwork during their freshmen year. Currently, more than 30 clinical sites are used, including the NSU Athletic Training Clinic on the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus, which is located in the Don Taft University Center and encompasses more than 3,000 square feet of cutting-edge equipment for the more than 350 student-athletes on campus. In addition to NSU, the college’s athletic training students have clinical field experi- ences in a variety of settings throughout South Florida. Monique Mokha, Ph.D., ATC, CSCS, who serves as program director of the B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science Program, builds the bridge for both majors with her expertise in biomechanics and kinesiology, among other research and service-learning interests. The exercise and sport science (EXSC) major provides students with a foundation in the movement sciences, which promotes improve- ments in health, fitness, and performance for the physically active. The program’s primary goal is to prepare students to be evidence- based practitioners of exercise and human movement disciplines who think critically about the science behind their practice. A student graduating from the program, which recently received recognition from the National Strength and Condition Association, will be able to seek employment as an exercise specialist, fitness and wellness coordinator, sport perfor- mance researcher, and strength and conditioning specialist. He or she will also be able to enter profes- sional graduate programs in exercise sciences and other fields, such as biomechanics, exercise physiology, and motor behavior. The Exercise and Sport Science Teaching and Research Laboratory is a 2,400-square-foot facility dedicated to enhancing the prep- aration of undergraduate students. The impressive equipment inven- tory used with both teaching and research includes the Bod Pod, a Vicon motion capture system, an in-ground force plate to measure power and balance, a Parvo meta- bolic cart, and other strength- training equipment. Jose Antonio, Ph.D., FNSCA, FISSN, CSCS, and Corey Peacock, Ph.D., CSCS, CISSN, CPT, are two of the four Exercise and Sport Science Program faculty members who have active research studies ongoing with undergraduate students every semester. The current areas of focus include, but are not limited to, increased protein supplementa- tion for strength training, the effects of myofascial release techniques on athletic performance, physiological characteristics with elite athletes, and ongoing func- tional movement screening on NCAA Division II athletes. During the last semester of the Exercise and Sport Science Program, Tobin Silver, Ph.D., CSCS, practi- cum director, guides senior students though a practicum experience. More than 90 sites have been used around the globe, including a yoga retreat in Hawaii, the Pete Bommat- iro Performance Systems with the National Football League, the Special Olympics, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Miami-Dade Police Wellness Program, and the IMG Performance Institute in Bradenton, Florida. This service-learning opportunity provides real-world experiences to help develop the students’ professional goals. ■ To learn more about the Health and Human Performance programs, visit www.healthsciences.nova.edu/index.html .