![headshots of Michael Nitka, Tim Suchomel and Conor Cantwell.]()
Michael Nitka, Tim Suchomel, Conor Cantwell
Congratulations to Carroll's Department of Human Movement Sciences, which received several awards at the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) conference in July. More than 2,000 people were present at the conference, either in-person or online.
Assistant Human Performance Coach Conor Cantwell received the Master’s Student Research Award for Outstanding Podium Abstract Presentation. Cantwell was recognized for his presentation on multi-set accentuated eccentric loading during squats. This is the second consecutive year that a graduate student from Carroll has received this research award at the national conference.
Dr. Tim Suchomel, director for Carroll's Sport Physiology and Performance Coaching graduate program, also won the Terry J. Housh Outstanding Young Investigator Award at the conference. Suchomel has published 9 book chapters and over 90 peer-reviewed journal articles on topics that include weightlifting movements and their derivatives, strength and power development and athlete monitoring. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® with Distinction (CSCS,*D®) and Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) through the NSCA.
In addition, coach Michael Nitka was presented with the Body Epley Lifetime Achievement Award. Nitka is an adjunct professor in the Exercise Science Department and has been a member of the NSCA since 1985. Nitka has served the NSCA as a speaker, volunteer, official international representative, reviewer, editor and author. He has chaired several committees and served twice on the Board of Directors.
Carroll was well-represented at the NSCA conference, with 10 graduate students either presenting or contributing to research abstracts – the most that Carroll has ever had at the national conference. Every participating student either presented an individual research abstract or was part of an abstract.
It’s no surprise that the job placement rate for the Department of Human Movement Sciences program is on the rise. Students have secured exercise science jobs with professional sports teams like the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Fire Football Club, and one alumnus is now a sports scientist at the University of Oregon. Of the most recent cohort, five of the eight students already have full-time jobs while the remaining students are in the job interview stage.
“There simply aren’t any other programs in the state that are doing the work that we’re doing,” said Suchomel. “Our graduate students are unique because students get exposed to the professional work that they will do in the field.”
Next year, Suchomel says that Carroll will likely contribute even more abstracts to the NCSA conference, due to the sheer volume of students who are hungry for research.