Sport Science Alumni
CLASS OF 2022
Alissa zeitelhack, BS, CSCS
Alissa completed her BS in Exercise Science and Sports Performance with a minor in Engineering Physics at McKendree University in 2020. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Biokinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Science. Her research and career interests include the utilization of biomechanical and physiological analyses to characterize injury risk and performance in athletic populations. She is currently involved in the Clinical Biomechanics Orthopedic and Sports Outcomes Research (COOR) Lab and its PAC-12 funded research study exploring modifiable physical factors that may reduce UCL injury risk in baseball pitchers. She is also working as a Biomechanics Lab Assistant at the Meyer Institute of Sport, where she is conducting athlete and patient assessments to give insight to rehabilitation and performance efforts.
Jasmin strong, bs
Jasmin received her Bachelors of Science in Biological Sciences from Cornell University, where she concentrated in Genetics, Genomics, and Development with a minor in Nutrition and Health. She is currently in her second year of the Sports Science Masters program. Her research interests lie in the lower extremities and delving into the mechanics leading to an injury as well as the subsequent biomechanics after an injury. She also has an interest in the genetics of an athlete and exercise impact on gene expression.
Jason cherin, bs
Jason received his undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Rochester in 2019. He is currently in his second year of the Sports Science Masters program. His research interests are centered around lower extremity biomechanics and utilizing innovative technology to improve athletic performance and enhance return to play protocol for individuals after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Jason currently holds a position as a research assistant in the Human Performance Laboratory and is working on his project that includes the validation of joint kinematics and kinetics using Theia3D markerless and Qualysis marker-based 3D motion capture technology. He also works as a Biomechanics Lab Assistant at the Meyer Institute of Sport, where he conducts functional and pitching assessments for athlete and patient populations.
Brady mccormick, bS, cscs
Brady received his Bachelors of Science in Exercise and Sports Science from University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and is currently in his second year in the Sports Science Masters program. His interests include in-situ testing for athletic performance along with data analytics to collaborate across Strength & Conditioning, Athletic Medicine, and Nutrition.
Ivana petergacova, bs
Ivana received her Bachelor of Arts in Chinese from UCLA in spring 2017. She is currently completing her second year of the Masters in Sports Science program. As a national level athlete in softball, Ivana comes from a highly competitive background which she wants to use in the field of sports science. Her area of interest is in combining sport science methods with strength & conditioning training to identify and improve the short-comings of a given athlete’s present capability. With this, she can integrate the use of technology to better track and assess the athlete’s progress in order to efficiently enhance performance.
Alec Roig, bs
Alec received his Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Engineering and Minor in Computer Science from Boston University in the spring of 2020. He is currently completing his second year as a Masters student in the Biokinesiology (Sports Science) program. His research interests are centered around how we can use wearable technology or other engineering-based solutions to correct irregular movement in populations with degenerative diseases.
Shannon rock, bs
Shannon is currently in her second year of the Biokinesiology Masters program with an emphasis in Sports Science. She received her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Shannon currently works at Movement Performance Institute administering tests such as gait and running analyses, return to sport evaluations, and strength tests that use analysis softwares and force plate data. Her research interests include injury prevention and post injury biomechanics of the lower extremities.
Alexis medrano, bs
Alexis received her Bachelors of Science degree in Kinesiology, Exercise Science from California State University Long Beach. While at CSULB she competed for the Track and Field team and was part of the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) research program funded by the NIH. Alexis is currently in her second year in the Biokinesiology Masters Program with an emphasis in Sports Science. Her current research interests include the biomechanics behind lower extremity injuries, common injuries found in track athletes and herbal supplementation's physiological effects on performance.
Nathan archer, Ms, cscs*D
Nathan received his M.S. in Kinesiology at The University of Wisconsin in 2020, and is in his second year of the Masters in Sports Science at USC. One of his research studies focused on developing more appropriate performance tests for hockey players and collected data during the LA Kings developmental camp. Nathan is also working with a startup company to develop a study aiming to use resisted sprint training to increase acceleration and peak velocity in sprint performance.
Sylvia Baeyens, BS
Sylvia received her Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University and is currently in her second year in the Sports Science Masters program. Her research interests include injury biomechanics in the lower extremities, stress and overuse injuries, and the physical effects of exercise on female athletes, including RED-S and stress fractures.
CLASS OF 2023
Jerry Lin, MS
Jerry received his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Taiwan Tech and is pursuing a Master of Science in Biokinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Science. He currently works as an applied sports science intern for the USC Football. His career interests are centered around the sports biomechanics and the utilization of strength & conditioning training and engineering approaches to enhance athletic performance.
Travis Craven
Travis completed his undergraduate work this previous spring at Whitman College, where he earned his B.A. in Biology. He is incredibly passionate about sports performance and helping athletes optimize their training. Travis is interested in exploring shoulder and elbow movement in overhead athletes in order to maximize performance and injury prevention. Travis is looking forward to getting involved in the Clinical Biomechanics Orthopedic and Sports Outcomes Research (COOR) Lab with Dr. Michener and her team.
Bailey McLagan, BA
Bailey received her Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Physiology with a Minor in Business from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She is in her first year of her Sports Science Master's at USC where she hopes to focus on exercise physiology. Her research interests include physiologic analysis in the prevention of overtraining in athletes, and the application of physiological and biomechanical analyses to maximize athlete performance.
Janet Salazar, BS
Janet Salazar received her Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from California State University of Long Beach and is currently in her first year in the Biokinesiology Sports Science Masters program. Her research interests are centered around the clinical aspects of exercise physiology and biomechanics.
Julienne Sauer, BS, ATC
Julienne received her Bachelors in Science at The Ohio State University in Athletic Training. She is currently pursuing her Master’s of Science in Biokinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Science. Her research and career interests include sports performance and injury rehabilitation, with the ultimate goal of working at a sport performance training gym. Currently, she is assisting with research on patellar tendon macro and micro morphology post ACL reconstruction.
Nicholas Vu, BS
Nicholas received his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Sciences from University of California, Irvine in 2020 and is currently in his first year of the Sports Science Masters program. His current research interests include the sports neuroscience/physiology of concussion and its long-term effects on the brain, common sports injuries such as ACL tears and Achilles tendon ruptures, and the effects of footwear in sports. He plans to apply to medical school after the program to achieve his career goal of becoming a sports medicine physician for a professional sports team.
Sofia Chambers, BS
Sofia received her Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology from the University of Oregon. While at the UO, she competed in all four years on the DI Women’s Soccer Team and named Captain in her final two seasons. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Biokinesiology with an emphasis in Sports Science. In her first year, Sofia is working with the USC Women’s Soccer team helping the Sports Science Team in collecting and analyzing Catapult Data as well as a consultant technician for Orreco, a global leader in sports biotechnology who provides biomarker testing services for elite athletes.
Kymani Joachim
Kymani Joachim has spent his undergraduate years at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where he got his BA in Kinesiology and graduated Valedictorian of his graduating 2021 class. Now, as he continues his academic journey, Mr. Joachim attends the Biokinesiology & Physical Therapy Master's Program at USC. After his Master's Program, Kymani aims to get his Doctor in Physical Therapy, in hopes to carry out his goal of becoming a Sports Physical Therapist for a professional sports team.
CLASS OF 2024
ANDREW CHO, BS
Andrew received his BS in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise Science from California State University, Northridge and is currently in his second year of the Biokinesiology Sports Science MS program. He is currently involved with the Human Performance Laboratory (HPL) investigating ways to incorporate various technologies for knee injury prevention and rehabilitation in the clinical setting. During the program, Andrew has had experiences with the LA Galaxy, a wearable smart insole R&D project, and at a health startup conducting product research to support go-to-market strategies for the treatment of common musculoskeletal pathologies. Following graduation, Andrew hopes to apply his background in roles within product development, testing, and user insights across areas in health/wellness, sportswear, wearable/digital technologies, and other solutions.
erin cagle, BS, cscs
Erin received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Florida Southern College where her research focused on ACL injury risk, injury prevention, and performance measures in female athletes. She is in her second year of the Master of Science in Kinesiology (Sports Science) program. Erin is currently working as a sports science intern at Los Angeles Galaxy. She has also been involved in research testing new sports technology products through the Human Performance Lab. Erin is also a certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and works as a strength coach at Allegiate Gym in Santa Monica.
Sarah zhong
Sarah grew up in Irvine, CA. She did her undergraduate studies in Sport and Exercise Sciences at Seattle University in Seattle, WA. While pursuing her bachelor's degree, she was a member of the SU dance team. Upon graduating, she moved to LA to pursue a master's degree in Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy with a Sport Science Emphasis, at USC. Sarah has experience as a Sports Performance intern for USC Football, USC Women’s Basketball, USA Volleyball, and the Seattle Sounders. She continued her dance career at USC as a member of the 22’-23’ Trojan Dance Force. After graduating from the program, Sarah hopes to pursue a career in either sports performance or in a laboratory setting for a health and wellness brand.
christopher geeza
Christopher J. Geeza is a dedicated strength and conditioning coach based in Los Angeles, California, with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Loyola Marymount University. He specializes in optimizing athlete performance through data-driven training solutions, drawing from a diverse background in ice hockey, roller hockey, martial arts, fitness, and yoga. Currently focused on research in post-activation performance enhancement for ice hockey players, Christopher's work centers on utilizing innovative methods to push the boundaries of sports performance optimization. With professional experience including internships at the LA Kings / Ontario Reign and the Orange County Soccer Club, Christopher has honed his skills in developing individualized training programs and analyzing player data. Through his expertise and research focus, Christopher emerges as a leader in the field of sports performance enhancement.
John (Jack) Wallace iii
Jack completed his Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science at Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently a second-year student in the Biokinesiology Master's program. His research interest investigates the impact of myokines on neuropsychological function in people with neurodegenerative diseases.
Shayna Goldstein
Shayna Goldstein graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2021 with a B.S. in Exercise Science. She is a research assistant in the Clinical Exercise Research Center (CERC) and is currently working on a validation study of a portable metabolic device (VO2 Master). During her time at USC, she has completed sports science internships with USC Athletics, USA Volleyball, and is currently with the Los Angeles Chargers. Her ultimate career goal is to work as a sports scientist at the college or professional level.
daniel smith
Daniel earned his Bachelor of Science in Movement Science from the University of Michigan in 2021. Currently in his second year of the Sports Science Master's program, his research interests include investigating tendon morphology using ultrasonography. He serves as a Sport Performance Intern with USC Olympic Sports, gaining hands-on experience with coaching and sport science. Daniel aspires to attend medical school, aiming to become an Orthopedic Surgeon and specializing as a sports medicine physician for a professional sports team. Committed to giving back to his community, he envisions opening a sports performance lab in Detroit, Michigan in collaboration with youth and professional teams to optimize athletic performance and minimize the risk of injuries.
Sylwia lipior
Sylwia Lipior earned a BA in Neuroscience from Wesleyan University in 2018. After graduating, she worked as a clinical research coordinator at the Yale University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit for three years. Sylwia is currently a master’s student in the USC Division of Biokinesiology and has been working under the mentorship of Dr. Leech for the past two years studying locomotor learning strategies for individuals with post-stroke cognitive impairment. She also worked as a sports performance intern at LA Galaxy last year. Her professional goals include one day working in the sports or rehabilitation tech industry.
Sonya le
Sonya received her Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from San Diego State University in 2022. She is currently a second-year student in the Sports Science Master’s program. Sonya’s research interests are focused around utilizing therapeutic modalities and technologies for injury prevention, improving recovery, athletic performance and rehabilitation before and throughout a return to play protocol. She is currently involved in the Clinical Exercise Research Center (CERC) Lab and is working on a project which centers around the effectiveness of passive joint angel position on muscle stiffness using MyotonPro. While in school, Sonya also works as a certified athletic trainer for USC Club Sports, Varsity Spirit, Team USA Cheer, and at The Rehab Lab Sports Medicine Clinic in Irvine, CA.