Health and Kinesiology | Page 12 | College of Applied Health Sciences

Paris Smith talks about her Applied Practice Experience change

Aug. 01, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today, we speak with Paris Smith, who worked remotely for Erie Family Health Centers, which is located in Chicago.

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Having to complete projects from home allowed me to express my creativity, however I was not able to collaborate with other staff in a hands-on setting as I would have being in the Erie facility, physically.

Q: Are you doing something for your APE than what you originally planned?

A: Some of my original projects were not able to happen, such as working with adolescent behavior health group visits, but I was still able to complete some other projects that will be implemented once Erie has more patients coming in person.

Q: Does your APE lead you to think about a different career path?

A: No, it has actually made me explore being in the health education field that focuses on promoting adolescents to being aware of their health.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: I am still working with the organization that I interviewed with interviewed with in January

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: Yes.

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: Having the same routine of logging in on for my intern experience and being in the same place has not been as exciting as it would have been interacting with staff and patients everyday.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: I am missing out on networking with people to be able to get more feedback on projects and potential job opportunities to have once I graduate.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted APEs?

A: Do not get discouraged because you can spend this time looking for other internship opportunities that you have been interested in, and even developing a new skill such as typing or making a flyers.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: I have not been able to travel due to COVID-19. I usually spend time seeing family during the summer months and now I have to connect with them through video calls.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Shivani Shah talks about her Applied Practice Experience change

July 21, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today, we speak with Shivani Shah, who is working remotely as a research intern with the South Asian heart lifestyle intervention (SAHELI) and South Asians Active Together (SAATH) studies.

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Pre-COVID, I expected my experience with the SAHELI and SAATH research teams to be primarily community facing—I was going to be recruiting research participants and doing educational outreach. Now, my experience has been more focused on designing modified study arm materials and brainstorming implementation logistics for when research recruitment can resume.

Q: Are you doing something different for your APE than what you originally planned?

A: While I am at my planned APE site, the work certainly shifted to be less hands-on and more planning and logistics, as I previously mentioned. This has exposed me to details including the protocols and extensive planning that goes into putting together a robust research study, alongside the challenges of modifying these components due to COVID. While unplanned, I am seeing a completely new side of organizational management, which is meaningful.

Q: Does your APE lead you to think about a different career path?

A: I was previously hesitant about working in a research setting as I worried it would be more distant from communities. However, this experience quickly shifted my understanding, as I see my team making important contributions to both the research world and on the lives of community participants. I’d love to continue exploring community based participatory research in my career.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: I’m grateful that my APE site was able to keep me onboard in a remote capacity.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: For the most part, yes. Given the importance of group cohesion and a basic medical examination for the research study efficacy, I was recently able to participate in a few minimal risk in-person activities.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: My internship was primarily outreach and education-based, which was entirely people-facing. I was looking forward to connecting with community members and hearing their stories in addition to better understanding their needs and perceptions around health. I certainly wish I had this experience, especially because participants also generally really enjoy the in-person interactions.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted APEs?

A: The world is very unpredictable, and things may not go the way you initially anticipated. But ultimately, it’s part of the learning and growing process. Stay true to yourself and your goals—there are alternative pathways to learn and achieve your goals, and the MPH program faculty is an incredible resource in helping you get there.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: This pandemic is a mentally and emotionally taxing event on the globe as a whole. It is difficult to find a new normal—as someone who loves being outdoors and struggles with online communications, it is an adjustment. Thankfully, however, I have the privilege of being home in the suburbs in the company of my family.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Can a wearable device combined with PT improve results?

July 01, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

The wearable device tracked movement to aid patients with exercise technique

A new publication from Kinesiology and Community Health assistant professor Manuel Hernandez looks at how use of a wearable device combined with physical therapy can improve patient results.

The paper, entitled, “Design of a Low-Cost, Wearable Device for Kinematic Analysis in Physical Therapy Settings,” was published in the June 2020 edition of Methods of Information in Medicine.

Hernandez said he hoped to learn if test subjects—who were from the Champaign-Urbana area—had a positive or negative experience with a novel wearable device, and to identify key areas for improvement in future versions of the device, so as to improve how well future wearable devices get adopted.

The wearable device, Hernandez said, was a standalone suite of sensors that track movement (using IMUs, or inertial measurement units), together with a power supply and mini computer (i.e., a Raspberry Pi), aimed at aiding physical therapy patients in improving exercise technique, through the classification of different upper extremity exercises, monitoring of progress, and biofeedback.

Participants were asked to complete nine upper-extremity exercises while wearing the device: Standing row; external rotation with arm abducted 90 degrees; external rotation; bicep curl; forearm pronation/supination; wrist curls; lateral arm raise; front arm raise, and horizontal abduction.

The aim, Hernandez said, is to validate the ability of the wearable device to accurately identify different upper extremity exercises using machine learning techniques and improve the ergonomics and usability of the device through further miniaturization, increased wireless connectivity, and development of a companion smartphone app.

“It is important to note that everyone is unique and will benefit from personalized care following an injury,” Hernandez said. “We hope that through the integration of smart devices together with evidence-based physical therapy practices, we can achieve improved rehabilitation outcomes, such as a higher restoration of function and speed up recovery, by providing an affirmation of exercise quality, feedback on progress, and minimization of re-injury.”

Tags: Health and Kinesiology, Manuel Hernandez, Physical therapy

MPH student Kelly Licata talks about her Applied Practice Experience

July 15, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Off the bat, I did not expect to be doing my internship remotely. I was expecting the immersive experience of working in the office, full-time, sitting in on meetings and programs that I get to learn from. But seeing as Aging Care Connections works with a much higher-risk population, everything is moved to online resources and I’m interacting with clients via Zoom.

Q: Are you doing something different for your APE than what you trained for?

A: No, the MPH program at U of I really prepares us for anything and my APE has moved a lot of its resources online, which has allowed my APE to move forward just with some flexibility of how we are providing education, information and data analysis to put our focus on whatever older adults need the most.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: I’ve loved completing my APE at Aging Care Connections; it’s been a really great experience and despite working remotely, it’s been hands-on. I wouldn’t say it’s changed my career path, I’m still interested in policy and healthcare resources regarding older adults.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: I was really lucky that my APE was not cancelled or altered too significantly, that this placement and project is pretty much the original without data collection being administered in face-to-face surveys and teaching all programs through Zoom format and not on-site.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: I am working remotely. It’s definitely different than what I anticipated since now I can just roll out of bed and start working, but there’s still plenty to do and I am definitely learning a lot as we go!

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: The most frustrating part about the changes with my APE project are really just the lack of face-to-face interaction with my preceptor, team members and clients. I was really looking forward to the hands-on experience of leading class programs face to face and getting to know our clients on a deeper level, and that can be tough on Zoom. Also, our clients are older adults and Zoom can be challenging for any new user. They’ve gotten the hang of Zoom with impressive speed but there still can be technological issues that sometimes arise in our classes and it can be difficult to troubleshoot for them.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: It’s been really interesting to say the least of starting a position when you haven’t met 95 percent of your co-workers. To hop in on conference calls where you’ve never interacted with anyone face to face is a different experience. There’s always a split second when I join Zoom meetings or conference calls that everyone thinks that they’ve got a Zoom crasher joining.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: I guess just be flexible and open to any new program or project you may come across. There’s still ways to complete APEs if you’re open to new ideas and different solutions.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Tags: COVID-19, Kelly Licata, MPH

MPH student Nicole Alberto talks about her Applied Practice Experience

July 06, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today with speak with Nicole Alberto, who is working this summer as a Graduate Research Assistant of the MOVE MS program.

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: As a full-time intern this summer, I was expecting that I would be at the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and doing field work at nearby counties. But since my supposed summer internship was cancelled due to COVID-19, I had to find an alternative placement, go back home and do my APE completely remotely.

Q: Are you doing something for your APE than what you trained for?

A: Yes! My work with Dr. Brynn Adamson as a Graduate Research Assistant of the MOVE MS program requires me to write and/or edit documents to be submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Because a lot of our courses focused on the development and promotion of health behavior programs, the logistics concerning IRB of these community/research programs were not discussed that much.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: Not really. In fact, my APE work solidified my passion to conduct my own research in the future. My four-year experience (undergraduate and graduate) with research gave me the knowledge, experience, confidence and drive to continue pursuing research in my future career as a Public Health Professional and a Physical Therapist.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: My original APE with the Carle Foundation was cancelled due to COVID-19. I had been working with my Carle preceptor since Fall 2019 and all APE paperwork had been completed. Unfortunately, Carle Foundation cancelled all summer internships last minute.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: Yes, back at home in Chicago.

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: I think the most frustrating part was when my original APE was cancelled last minute. I was one of the first to secure an APE site at the beginning of the year so it never occurred to me to find an alternative site. I had to cram to find one during the last weeks of school. Fortunately, my advisors were there to help me.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: My internship with Carle required me to be at the office and do a lot of field work. I attended many events, met amazing people in the community and developed relationships with my supervisors. All of these were cut short by the stay-at-home order. I really miss the bonding and social interaction in the office and out in the field.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: Trust the process and your advisors! You are not alone in this dilemma. Your advisors will be there to assist you (or even rescue you) when you start to worry about delayed graduation due to your disrupted APE. Be flexible, work with them, and be open to new experiences. Your new site may be out of your comfort zone, but it may also be a new avenue for a better and bigger career path.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: I think COVID-19 has affected me the same way as everybody else. My APE was cancelled, my two jobs ended, I had to go back home, I had to cancel all my summer travel plans and I had to adjust my lifestyle and schedule in many ways. I have a bit of hard feelings but surprisingly, staying at home this summer still got me very busy!

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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MPH student Stacia Simmons talks about her Applied Practice Experience

July 01, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today, we speak with Stacia Simmons, who is working on the contact tracing team at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago.

Q: Are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Yes. with everything being shut down due to COVID-19, I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as my experience. I originally expected to be doing work with the Narcan and Prep program at CUPHD, however that shifted once Illinois was ordered to shut down. Shortly after, I was notified that everything would be done remotely and that my role at CUPHD would have to change. Fortunately, the Champaign Public Health Department offered me a position to work onsite as a contact tracing intern. In addition, Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago also offered me a remote contact tracing intern position, and I gladly accepted both positions. My experience so far has been amazing in that the work that I am doing directly aligns with my career interest which is infectious disease prevention/treatment. Therefore, being able to gain firsthand public health experience and to also be able to do my part in helping stop the spread of covid19 has been wonderful. It is also great in that working for two different health departments allows me to serve two different populations and it’s also very interesting to see the differences in approach in regard to the roles of contact tracers between both health departments. Both have exceeded beyond my expectations. Overall, it’s a blessing to be interning at both departments.

Q: You have worked in two facilities doing contract tracing. What differences have you noticed between them?

A: There is a big difference between the population that we serve through CUPHD than at HBHC. Chicago is a much bigger city with a lot more cases, therefore the roles of a contact tracer are slightly different also how things are structured. At CUPHD, the contact tracing unit is split into teams. They have a group of staff who conduct interviews, a group of staff that complete contact tracing and another group of staff that handle data entry and logistics. Contact tracers at CUPHD are in charge of completing daily wellness check calls to isolation and quarantine cases, while interviewers conduct interviews with confirmed cases to identify close contacts. At HBHC, there is one big team of contact tracers whose role is to conduct interviews and identify close contacts however, they do not follow up with cases as CUPHD does. With so many confirmed cases and a need for more contact tracers within the Chicago area, much of our time spent as contact tracers are obtaining information about close contacts.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: No, in fact it reassures me that I am in the right career path for me.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: Originally, it was planned for me to take part in a different role at CUPHD, however things shifted to working remotely. Fortunately, they have still allowed me to work onsite as a contact tracer instead.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: For HBHC, yes, I am but, for CUPHD, I work onsite.

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: In the beginning I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure what to expect, however things have turned out very well for me. I am fortunate to have not experience anything frustrating about the change.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: In working remotely with HBHC it doesn’t allow for me to have the onsite experience as I have with CUPHD, however I am still able to interact and network with other contact tracers as we all have a weekly meeting where we all get to touch base. Overall, it works out that I am able to work remotely from home for HBHC, seeing that I reside in the Champaign area.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: Make the best out of every experience. Yes, it can be very frustrating to have your internship disrupted, however there are other opportunities out there for you to take advantage of. Public health is a broad field filled with plenty of opportunities and it is vital that you put yourself out there and connect and network with others in which will open more opportunities for you later. Be open and flexible to change because it could be a blessing in disguise.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: COVID-19 has definitely made it interesting in my household as I balance internship duties, and being creative in keeping life interesting and fun for my wonderful seven-year-old son. I haven’t traveled much as I am very busy with both internships and also working part-time as a preschool teacher. I am what you call a “towny”—Champaign is where I was born and raised, and luckily all of my family still resides here in town as well so I am able to see them.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Tags: COVID-19

Geiger gets NIH grant to study how social vulnerability contributes to pre-term births

June 29, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Pre-term birth of a baby puts them at risk for various health problems

Sarah Geiger, an incoming assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health in the College of Applied Health Sciences, has received a $200,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s ECHO Opportunities and Infrastructure Fund to study how social vulnerability contributes to pre-term births.

Geiger’s study is entitled, “Oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers in relation to birth outcomes in four ECHO cohorts. As Geiger explained, babies are born too early for all sorts of reasons, but pre-term birth of a baby puts them at risk for various health problems. Pre-term birth is also really expensive for society, she said. In 2017, for example approximately four million babies were born preterm in the U.S. and preterm birth contributes an estimated $6 billion in health care costs within the first year of life.

“We want to learn more about how social vulnerability—things like being poor, stressed out, living as a racial or ethnic minority, and even being exposed to common environmental chemicals—contribute to pre-term birth,” Geiger said. “To do this, we want to explore what’s going on in women’s bodies when this happens, specifically biological pathways of oxidative stress and inflammation.”

Geiger’s study proposes to characterize biological pathways for preterm birth in four ECHO birth cohorts—including one at Illinois Kids Development Study in Champaign-Urbana—by applying a novel method to quantify the proportion of 8-iso-PGF2α derived from oxidative stress and inflammation mechanisms using the ratio of 8-iso-PGF2α to PGF2α. Previous studies have linked elevated levels of oxidative stress biomarkers to preterm birth, but it is difficult to distinguish between oxidative stress and inflammation, and, Geiger suggests, her study’s approach might address this data gap.

Urine samples will be collected from more than 2,000 women, with about 350 in Champaign-Urbana. The other cohort sites are Chemicals in Our Bodies at the University of California, San Francisco; Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats at Northeastern University; and The Infant Development and the Environment Study, at Mount Sinai, University of California, San Francisco, University of Rochester Medical Center, and University of Minnesota.

The study will begin in the fall, and next steps at our site will be preparing urine samples to send to a lab for biomarker measures, Geiger said.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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MSHA student Ariel Freehill talks about her Applied Practice Experience

June 29, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Health Administration program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Ariel Freehill was supposed to be working at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, but instead is helping a rural hospital complete a Community Health Needs Assessment.

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Going into grad school, I knew an APE was required to graduate. I was fully expecting the experience to be relatively the same as the internship I had to complete for my undergraduate degree. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, that is not how this experience has panned out. Instead of working full-time hours with a preceptor, I am spending my days completing online workshops and skill development courses. It is definitely different from what I was anticipating, but I am still enhancing my skills and knowledge just on a self-paced basis instead of being in an organization.

Q: Are you doing something different for your APE than what you trained for?

A: Actually, no. Aside from the online tasks, I’m helping a rural hospital complete a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). This is a report that is done every three years, and I’ve had extensive exposure to this report in my class work leading up to this APE. COVID-19 has obviously impacted how that’s being done and it does affect the data collection but completing the report itself is fairly similar.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: Not at all. I love kids, and I have always dreamed of working for a children’s hospital. This alternate APE experience does not include any tasks that would heavily influence me to change my career path.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: My original APE was supposed to be done with the Volunteer Services Department at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. That entire facility is full of immunocompromised, cancer-fighting kids, so my APE was canceled around mid-March due to COVID-19.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: I am working from home, but all of my required activities are self-paced for the most part. Which is a blessing, but also a curse. It’s nice to not be restricted to a timeline for this alternate APE, but it also makes it hard to find the motivation to get started some days.

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: The most frustrating thing was the cancelation of my APE with St. Jude. I have dreamed of working for St. Jude since I was in elementary school. When I was informed of our required APE experience, I knew I was going to try and pursue St. Jude. My application for the position passed through five stages before being offered an in-person interview, and that interview was a four-hour interview in Memphis. Even through all of that, I had been offered the position. So, getting that call in March to say it was canceled was the most heartbreaking and frustrating thing that has happened during this pandemic.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: There are so many good things that come out of a face-to-face internship. I can confidently say I learned so much from my undergrad internship, and that is definitely what I am missing out on the most. I can complete all of these tasks that have been assigned to me, but it does not compare to the growth I could have had from being in-person on site. Even though I am helping with the rural hospital’s CHNA, I am still missing out on collaboration with others, especially because the process is so straightforward. I think I am most sad about missing that opportunity to be at a facility that I have dreamed about my entire life.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: Expect the unexpected, be flexible, and give thanks to those who deserve it! Even before I got the call about my APE being canceled, the University had already told us we were not coming back after Spring Break, so I had a gut feeling that my cancelation was coming, but that did not make it any less frustrating. And because of all of these cancelations, myself and the others in my cohort, are now completing tasks that we never would have thought about doing because we have to have some sort of APE experience. Most importantly, I have to say a huge thank you to my program directors who spent so much time finding these alternative tasks for us that would still qualify for our APE experience. I know they spent countless hours researching items to complete and are still in constant contact, so I am very grateful for everything they have done!

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: I am not one who likes to stay home all of the time, I like to go places and see new things and I have not done that. So being cooped up in the house since mid-March has been driving me a little crazy. I do try to get out every once in awhile to see my family. My hometown is only about an hour away, so getting home to see and spend time with them is super easy, and I’m grateful for that.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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MPH student Edson Flores talks about his Applied Practice Experience

June 15, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. First up is Edson Flores, who is working as a research assistant for the Recreation, Sport & Tourism department of AHS.

Q: What are you doing this summer?

A: Partnering with a current PhD student, we are conducting bilingual cognitive interviews to increase the strength and reliability of a questionnaire targeting Mexican immigrants in the Midwest. Previous coursework from the MPH program has taught me the influence intersectionality has on patterns and choices people make especially when it comes to the foods they consume. I am fortunate to have received a well-rounded education from our MPH faculty. I am actively applying my Public Health knowledge throughout this summer internship!

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Originally, I expected to go to my summer APE for 7-8 hours every weekday working in a facility. However, my APE is remote which means there is a lot more independence when completing the work. Most of the work is done virtually, even the check-ins, which is something I was not anticipating.

Q: Are you doing something different for your APE than what you trained for?

A: No. My APE is research-based and that is something I am very interested in. I am part of a research lab on campus working with one of our MPH faculty so I am fortunate to have found a summer internship where I can use the skills I learned.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: Like mentioned earlier, my APE placement involves data collection and data analysis. My career path involves practicing and publishing my own research, therefore, my APE work is providing me with additional experience before I enter my PhD program.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: One noticeable factor that is affected due to the pandemic is the inability to work face-to-face with participants. My APE involves administering questionnaires which were traditionally meant to be done in person. However, due to the current circumstances, we are using phone or video calls instead. Ideally, I would have liked to have met with the participants so they could have had a familiar face throughout the process.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: My advice to future students who may find themselves with disrupted APEs is to be creative. One thing that this pandemic has taught me was that there are alternative ways to produce the same work. My original plan was to administer questionnaires in person, but we had to think creatively and figure out new ways to achieve the same results. Our faculty are very resourceful so if you ever find yourself in that position, do not hesitate to use your resources!

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Illini students making masks for people with spinal cord injuries

May 22, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

The students collaborated on a grant application to make protective masks for people with spinal cord injuries

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people to pause plans, change directions and pivot to new careers. For two Illinois students, it means becoming inventors and distributors.

Joey Peters, a Ph.D. candidate in Kinesiology and Community Health, and Gies College of Business alum Arielle Rausin collaborated on a grant application to make protective masks for people with spinal cord injuries, and found out this week that the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation—which focuses on funding projects for people with an SCI—awarded them a $10,000 grant.

The funding is provided through the Neilsen Emergency grants, which are intended to directly support the provision of services to those living with SCI and their caretakers to relieve the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. People with SCI have above-average risk in the COVID-19 pandemic due to the prevalence of comorbidities that could complicate any SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, obtaining effective masks for people with SCI has proven challenging.

Peters and Rausin will help make 750 masks, using 3D printers located at Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES), and the company Rausin started, Ingenium Manufacturing.

It’s fitting that DRES is involved since that is where Peters and Rausin met. Peters was a renowned gymnast when he got to Urbana-Champaign in 2013, as a two-year American junior national team member. He quickly established himself as a star athlete on campus, however, he sustained a left rotator cuff injury before his senior year and could not compete that season.

The time away from competing allowed him to reflect on what was next and he decided to pursue a master’s degree in Kinesiology. His advisor, Laura Rice, is married to Ian Rice, another member of the KCH faculty and a former gymnast himself.

“Dr. Ian Rice had a research project looking at pressure, like preventing pressure ulcers and adapted sport equipment,” Peters said. “And so it seemed kind of interesting. So I wanted to get involved in it, so I got involved in that project and did my masters with that. And with that, I kind of got involved with the racing team here, doing research on them. And then, next thing you know, I’m volunteering, going out on the road with them, and kind of fell in love with the sport. And that was about four years ago, four or five years ago, and I’m still here.”

Peters became the grad assistant for the wheelchair track team, and that’s how he met Rausin, one of the athletes. Rausin herself has a spinal cord injury.

Since Peters plans to focus on SCI research and preventing secondary complications with SCI, working with Rausin made perfect sense.

“Arielle has an amazing 3D printing company, and it just seemed like a really good fit for the whole sort of COVID relief kind of plan to action,” Peters said. “We thought it could be a really cool idea to help people in need in the SCI community.”

This grant won’t be the first time Rausin has put her skill to good use for a good cause.

In a class during her junior year, she was tasked with creating a prototype of a useable product. Thanks to her passion for wheelchair racing, and a challenge from her coach, she decided to make wheelchair racing gloves. A good pair of wheelchair racing gloves is as important as good shoes for a marathon runner, but they’re very costly, going for as much as $250 a pair. Rausin decided to create a more durable, more affordable solution.

From that idea was born her company, Ingenium Manufacturing, in 2016, currently the only business in the country which offers wheelchair racing products using 3D scanning and printing technology.

In the grant application, Peters and Rausin said they could begin production on the masks within a week of securing funding. Rausin said logistics of distribution haven’t been worked out yet, but they’ll be working with DRES partners, and they plan to mail some to Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA), a youth organization in Chicago that promotes physical activities for people with a physical or visual disability.

The masks have been approved by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but they’re not taking supplies from N95 masks that are meant for first responders and hospitals, Rausin said.

“The 3D printed mask that we’re going to be distributing, it’s meant for community use,” she said. “It’s going to protect people better than the cloth masks or bandannas or whatever that they have around their home. And so this is just an opportunity for us to give them a free mask that’s going to be better than their own, but still not taking away from the need that doctors and hospitals have.

“This was a perfect opportunity for us to be able to donate the use of the printers towards a good cause, and use them to help people.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Tags: Arielle Rausin, Ian Rice, Joey Peters, Laura Rice

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