Kerry Dinon
Kerry Dinon, a September 2005 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, has already achieved one of her career goals, “to have a career I love.” After completing her studies in kinesiology and exercise science, Kerry accepted a position as an exercise physiologist in the cardiac and pulmonary rehab unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where she previously completed a three-month internship. She explains that her research experience, which was funded by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), has contributed greatly to her current role “because I get to tell my patients exactly what happens to their bodies in a cold environment, and why it is not recommended to them.” Not a single moment of the research process was unsatisfactory to Kerry. “The most satisfactory part is the knowledge and great experience of learning that I gained from this project,” she says. Kerry lives in Townsend, Massachusetts.
Dr. Robert Kenefick
Dr. Robert Kenefick, is an associate professor of kinesiology in the school of Health and Human Services at UNH. According to Dr. Kenefick, Kerry was very enthusiastic about her undergraduate research experience, and he was pleased to act as her mentor. In his opinion, however, “because of [her] knowledge base, confidence, and responsibility, the project became less of a student-mentor situation, and more of a professional working collaboration.” Dr. Kenefick was impressed not only with her hard work and sense of responsibility, but also with her command of the material. “Her presentation (at the school of Health and Human Services’ Grimes Research Competition) was no different from one at a professional conference.” Dr. Kenefick received the prestigious UNH Faculty Excellence award in 2005.
Read Kerry Dinon’s research article, Our Thirst Mechanism and ANP >>
