The next time astronauts take flight, SUNY Brockport PES major, Roxanne Nash '06 can say she helped prepare them for the experience. Interning in NASA's Human Adaptations and Countermeasure Department this past summer, Nash worked on the advanced resistance exercise device - better known as aRED - which NASA hopes will better physically prepare astronauts for flight. Weightless space travel causes bone loss and muscle atrophy. Nash's work this summer involved research on resistance versus free weight training and could provide guidelines for an exercise regimen for astronauts to follow while in orbit so they return to earth with most of the muscle mass they had before lift-off.

Nash has conducted research under the direction of Associate Professor Heidi Byrne and Assistant Professor Craig Mattern, presenting work at Brockport's Scholars Day and at the American College of Sports Medicine conference in Denver.

Finally, the inaugural class for SUNY Brockport's new 3+3 Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy arrived on campus this fall. Students can major in physical education, biological sciences and health science liberal arts. After completing three years of course work at Brockport, students will attend SUNY Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse to complete their DPT degree.