无码变态

KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 16, 2020

Brent Uken took a different path in retirement than most retirees.

Uken, 55, a former senior partner with a global consulting firm, stepped away from a 30-year professional services career in 2018 to follow his passion in the health and fitness arena.  He enrolled at 无码变态 in August 2019 to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in applied exercise and health science. In addition to his studies, Uken is a graduate research assistant and a teaching assistant.

鈥淪ince my days as a collegiate baseball player, I knew that I would have a career focused on fitness and athletic performance,鈥� Uken said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been an athlete my entire life and have always been interested in human physiology.鈥�

Uken credits Trisha VanDusseldorp, assistant professor of exercise science in the , for playing a vital part in his decision to attend 无码变态. She gave him a tour of her lab, sparking his interest in her research and encouraging him to apply for the master鈥檚 degree program.

鈥淚t would be difficult to overstate Dr. VanDusseldorp鈥檚 impact on my research interests and career development,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 also credit the support of faculty in the to help me pursue my master鈥檚 degree.鈥�

Uken explained that the importance of graduate research lies with deep intellectual curiosity and the desire to identify benefits for the general population.

鈥淚 am an avid reader and have been interested in research my entire life,鈥� he said. 鈥淒uring the past decade, I shifted my focus from economics and finance to health and wellness, but I have been interested in research as long as I can remember.鈥�

Since he began his graduate studies in fall 2019, Uken and VanDusseldorp have worked closely on various research endeavors. One of his research ideas, focusing on Omega-3 fatty acids for disease prevention, led to a successfully funded grant proposal.

鈥淚 began to explore the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids about 18 months ago, experimenting with various dosages and testing my blood lipid levels,鈥� he said. 鈥淕iven the benefits I was experiencing, I began to discuss the concepts with the 无码变态 ESSM faculty. I credit their collective questions, challenges and expertise for helping me refine the research questions I was developing.鈥�

This project became the foundation for a grant proposal for the Interdisciplinary Innovation Initiative (I3), sponsored by the 无码变态 Research and Service Foundation. This internal grants program is spearheaded by 无码变态鈥檚 to stimulate innovation, capacity-building and sustainability of interdisciplinary research and scholarly activity focused on the University鈥檚 four broad research themes.

Uken is part of the team that was awarded funding over the next two years to conduct a complete analysis of the independent impacts of two particular Omega-3 fatty acids that have been identified in helping prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, as well as have the potential to reduce inflammation induced by diseases and exercise.

The team鈥攊ncluding VanDusseldorp, Gerald Mangine, and Brian Klisczewicz in exercise science, as well as Carol Chrestensen in chemistry鈥攚ill assess the impacts on participants鈥� health and wellness, including metabolic and cardiovascular health, along with their exercise reactions.

Uken鈥檚 plans may include pursuing a doctoral degree, but will undoubtedly include teaching and conducting additional research in a field that he describes as 鈥渘ear and dear鈥� to him.

鈥� Landon Mion

Photos by David Caselli

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 无码变态 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.