Promoting Diversity in Science: Kinesiology Outreach Efforts Bring Latinx High School Students to Campus for National Biomechanics Day

On April 6, the Department of Kinesiology hosted a group of high school juniors in celebration of National Biomechanics Day (NBD) 2022. The students, predominately Black and Latinx students from nearby Holyoke High School, were invited to campus to participate in a variety of demonstrations in the field of biomechanics.

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The department’s efforts were led by doctoral student Jonaz Moreno Jaramillo, who co-founded and serves as president of the UMass Amherst Student Chapter of the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB). After hosting the event virtually in 2021, Moreno Jaramillo and his colleagues in the UMass ASB Chapter were thrilled to return to an in-person event offering hands-on demonstrations.

“We provided a bus ride for the 23 participants to our campus along with a nice lunch at the campus center and some stickers for souvenirs,” says Moreno Jaramillo, who was awarded $1000 from the Latinx in Biomechanics Outreach Through NBD Grant Program to support Latinx involvement in the day’s activities. “The graduate team gave a campus tour to the students so they could discover our school. Many of the participants had never had a campus tour at a college. Overall, the award allowed us to make sure that the junior high school students had a unique experience at UMass while learning all about research in biomechanics. Our hopes are that the high school students see the potential in getting into the STEM fields and that maybe some of them see UMass as a great option for them to continue with their education.”

An international student from Mexico and member of the UMass Integrative Locomotion Laboratory led by Wouter Hoogkamer, Moreno Jaramillo has been instrumental in supporting both the department’s and the biomechanics field’s efforts to promote diversity in science. In 2020, he co-founded Latinx in Biomechanix (LiB), an affinity group of the national ASB organization. He secured a $5000 grant to improve the organization and increase its capacity and retention. Since co-founding the group, they have hosted six virtual social events for Latinx and allies, created 33+ posts on social media in the form of member highlights, established connections with five different universities in the USA and Brazil, and collaborated with the Black Biomechanics Association and International Women in Biomechanics.

“Jonaz not only excels in his graduate program here in the Kinesiology Department, but has been instrumental in building and advancing diversity in one of our major scientific organizations (ASB) as well as local high school community outreach,” says department chair and Professor of Kinesiology Richard van Emmerik. “He is exactly the kind of student the department values, making outstanding contributions to a positive climate affecting not only research, teaching and learning but also community outreach and future recruitment of a diverse student body and faculty.”

National Biomechanics Day is a world-wide celebration of biomechanics – the field of study that involves the application of mechanical principles in the study of biological systems – that is intended to increase awareness and appreciation of biomechanics among high school communities around the world. Resources, including classroom and laboratory-based activities, are shared with educators and classes to enhance existing STEM curriculum and bring awareness to different education and career paths.