Texas A&M Celebrates National Biomechanics Day at Local School

A celebration of science that has spread worldwide came to one school in the Bryan-College Station metro area, thanks to one professor from Texas A&M University’s College of Education and Human Development.

Jenna Yentes, Ph.D., an Associate Professor for the Department of Health and Kinesiology, initiated the university’s involvement in National Biomechanics Day.

Texas A&M was at Caldwell Junior High on Tuesday, April 5th working with seventh-grade science classes for this year’s Biomechanics Day. Along with Dr. Yentes, graduate students Jack Manning, Madison Treece, Scott Phillips, Roberto Castro Jr., Madison Weinrich and Amin Mohajeri were at Caldwell Junior High to help incorporate lesson plans and celebrate Biomechanics Day.

Every April 6th, middle and high school students and teachers recognize the broad science of biomechanics, which is both a basic and applied science that uses technology, engineering, mathematics and science to apply engineering principles or physics to living bodies.

“It’s used in a variety of prosthetics and orthotics. You name it, it comes into play anytime there’s something to do with movement and the body,” Dr. Yentes said.

Since being founded in 2016 by Dr. Paul DeVita, Ph.D., Biomechanics Day has become recognized and celebrated on every continent except for Antarctica up to this point.

Dr. Yentes learned about Biomechanics Day through her previous university and hopes that more biomechanists will be created from it one day.

“Really, it’s to introduce kids to this field and to show them what it is, how it works and teach them a little bit about their own body so that they become interested in science and stay interested in it,” Dr. Yentes said.

The biomechanics field is growing fast. Large companies like Nike fund biomechanics research every year and even the Olympics have biomechanists that work at their different training facilities to increase performance.

Biomechanics doesn’t just help athletes or those who play sports. The military applications for biomechanics are innumerable and can not only help rehabilitate soldiers that lost limbs, but also help find ways to reduce the load on soldiers (such as exoskeletons).

Although it’s too late to get involved with this year’s Biomechanics Day, there is always next year. If you would like Texas A&M to come to your school or if you would like to get involved (open to all majors), please contact Dr. Yentes at jyentes@tamu.edu