Moving On Up

When kinesiology student Dan Barreto, ’27, walks into the Wright Family Athletic Performance Center, it’s a fusion of his academic and athletic worlds. Thanks to new biomechanics testing technology installed in the athletic performance center by Seattle University’s Kinesiology Department, the place where Barreto trains—he’s a middle-distance runner on the track and field team—is now also his classroom.  

“As a Kinesiology student, having this technology at Seattle University is really cool,” Barreto says. “It’s something that we wouldn’t normally have access to, so having these resources really help my academic career.”

Barreto isn’t alone in balancing athletics and academics. Nearly 29 percent of kinesiology undergraduates at Seattle University are also student athletes, so when the Athletics Department began planning upgrades to the athletic performance center in 2024, the College of Arts and Sciences saw a unique opportunity to enhance student learning.

During the remodel, Athletics collaborated with the college to install new cutting-edge equipment, including force plates, which measure feedback from motion such as running and jumping, and a high-speed camera monitoring system that records and analyzes how parts of the body move in relation to each other.

These tools not only support biomechanics testing for research but also allow undergraduate and graduate kinesiology students to engage with advanced technology that deepens their understanding of human movement and provides an advantage in their career preparation.

What makes the new setup unique is that the equipment has a permanent home. Unlike temporary equipment used in some academic settings, the state-of-the-art technology in the Wright Family Athletic Performance Center will be available for continuous use by students and faculty, as well as student athletes. This dedicated space allows for long-term research, regular testing and the ability to track progress over time.

“In the classroom, kinesiology students learn about the math and physics principles of human movement,” says Kyle DeRosia, PhD, Human Performance Lab Supervisor, who is also Barreto’s biomechanics instructor. “Now, with this technology, they can actually measure the things they’re learning in the classroom in the ‘real world.’”

DeRosia also understands firsthand how this will benefit kinesiology faculty and their research. “Not only does this equipment enhance the student learning experience,” he says, “but it also gives me and other faculty members opportunities to perform novel research in the fields of sports biomechanics and strength and conditioning.”

Bennett Cleveland, ’25, a graduate assistant for strength and conditioning who works with the baseball, swimming and rowing teams, is already seeing gains in his work with student athletes.

“It’s given us the ability to look at data in ways that we really didn’t have access to before the new equipment went in,” he says. “We can look at developmental progress in a much more effective way.”

Another added benefit is in professional outcomes. Kinesiology students are honing skills highly valued in fields such as sports medicine, physical therapy, athletic training and fitness technology.

Julius H. Moss, EdD, interim chair of the Kinesiology Department, says this focus on innovation in research technology directly supports SU’s goals as an institution.

“The university’s vision challenges us to be one of the most innovative and progressive universities in the world,” he says, “so naturally, we are prioritizing investments in technology to give our students the skills to succeed in a fast-paced, high-tech field.”

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Monica J. Casper sees the collaboration as aligning perfectly with SU’s Strategic Directions’ goals of strengthening professional formation and enhancing the student experience.

“At Seattle University, the student experience is paramount,” she says. “The Wright Family Athletic Performance Center beautifully melds the academic and extracurricular sides of that. We in the College of Arts and Sciences are grateful for the collaboration with Athletics.”

As Cleveland looks to continue his career in strength and conditioning training, he says that the new technology is a substantial boost to his future prospects.

“Having access to this technology is huge because I’ve been able to learn so much and gain so much experience in data analysis,” he says. “I’ve seen this technology at other places, but to have it here at Seattle University is special.”