Tarleton senior presents research at Texas capitol

By Shelby Wofford  – 

Senior kinesiology major Ryan Eaton traveled to Austin to present his research project in April for Texas Undergraduate Research Day.

Eaton’s research, which took place over about a year and a half, compares electrocardiograms and pre-participation screenings of Tarleton athletes to identify potential heart risks.

Dr. Jennifer Blevins-McNaughton, Eaton’s research mentor, said they compared test results of about 100 athletes to find the results used for the project. Participants were both male and female and from several different athletic teams, including football, volleyball, basketball and track and field.

Eaton’s research was first presented at the Texas American College of Sports Medicine Convention in February. From there he was invited to present his research at the recent Texas Undergraduate Research Day on April 26.

Texas Undergraduate Research Day aims to stress the importance of undergraduate research to state officials and encourage state funding for projects like Eaton’s.

“We are all there to help promote undergraduate research as a tool for undergrads to use to develop their professional and academic lives,” Eaton said. “It’s something that’s funded by the state. We went to show the importance of undergraduate research so that we can keep getting that funding or more funding.”

Shelby Wofford is a freshman communication major from Brownwood, Texas.

Resources: Ryan Eaton’s Research Abstract