A group of exercise science students from the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation recently traveled to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, for the Central States regional chapter meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Two College of Education and Health Professions undergraduate students, Lauren Westervelt and Madeline Amos, won prestigious awards at the conference.

Westervelt won the Outstanding Undergraduate Research award, where she competed against over 30 undergraduate research abstracts. Her project investigated how cancer-associated muscle loss occurs in female mice and if a female's mitochondria may impact how muscle loss occurs.

Amos won the President's Cup Poster competition, where she competed against 23 undergraduate, masters and doctoral students. Her project investigated how oxidative metabolism is altered during disuse-induced muscle loss, which commonly occurs during long periods of bed rest or space flight, for example. She studied how changes in oxidative metabolism might be different in males and females during disuse.

These awards will fund travel to the National ACSM Conference in May.

The students' mentor, Nic Greene, commended their strong work ethic and curiosity.

"Lauren and Madeline have come into the laboratory and really showed a desire and work ethic that has allowed them to excel in only a short period of time," he said. "These awards are a symbol of who they are and their capabilities as they move forward as students and into their careers."