TUSPM Biomechanics Students help incoming cadets at West Point

Nearly 1200 new cadets arrive at the US Military Academy at West Point each year. While the Black Knights are competition for the Owls in the NCAA, they are the future leaders of our women and men in uniform and their care is important to us all. When TUSPM alumnus, Colonel Michael Neary '91, wanted to learn more about the impact the very active life led by his charges, he turned to his alma mater for assistance.

In July of 2013, ten TUSPM students traveled with faculty to meet up with students and faculty from another podiatry school and scientists from West Point, the Hospital for Special Surgery and Harvard University. They collected biomechanics data on more than 1,100 over two days meeting incoming cadets from across the USA. In October of 2014, a group of podiatry students returned to the Point to repeat measurements on the same Class of 2017.

The students volunteer their time, give freely their enthusiasm, and have a unique experience only available through Temple University's School of Podiatric Medicine. Until the collaboration team secures a grant supporting this work, we need help to cover travel, hotel and meals for the three days and two nights this summer to welcome in the Class of 2019. Those fees are: $35 per day per student for meals and the same for a shared room each night; transportation for the group is $500. Because TUSPM'S role in data collection has expanded, we need the help of 20 students now with a total budget of around $3200.