KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 27, 2025

A current student and two graduates of Kennesaw State University’s Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics program earned honors recently at the Hanger Live Conference in Nashville, a celebrated event in the prosthetics and orthotics industry.

Second-year MSPO student Jen Self earned the Student Research Award, and recent graduates Joyc’lynne Williams and Brianna “Taylor” Beard were named Residents of the Year. The three were among a nationwide pool of applicants.

“These accolades highlight the exceptional commitment of our students to advancing the field of orthotics and prosthetics research,” said Adrienne Hill, MSPO director and clinical assistant professor of prosthetics and orthotics in KSU’s Wellstar College of Health and Human Services. “The event was a platform to celebrate KSU’s rising stars and the outstanding support from our faculty.”

Self’s project involved comparing the efficacy of a novel low-profile prosthetic foot with other conventional low-profile feet while walking up a slope. She studied prototypes produced by Little Room Innovations, an Atlanta-based company that creates artificial limbs (prostheses) and corrective braces (orthoses), and works with KSU’s MSPO program. The unique design helped research subjects walk up the slope through its superior dorsiflexion.

“Our results showed that four out of the six subjects had a statistically significant greater peak dorsiflexion during slope ascent with Little Room Innovation’s prototype,” Self said. “This shows that this novel low-profile foot could be a potential option for clinical use in the future when having a reduced build height is a determining factor.”

Williams and Beard joined forces on a study of the effects of birth order on infant crawling, which earned them their honors. They graduated from KSU’s MSPO program in 2024, and each now works as a resident at Hanger Clinics—Beard works at the clinic in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Williams works in Houston, Texas.

Self, who earned a bachelor’s in exercise science from KSU in 2022, expects to graduate in Spring 2025, and hopes to work in prosthetics—devices that replace the function of a missing limb. The experience with Hanger Live will put her in a good position for a strong residency next year and a long, rewarding career after that.

“My experience at Kennesaw State in the MSPO program has been incredible,” she said. “I've got to meet so many different clinicians and innovators in this amazing field. This career will forever be a rewarding experience because we are given the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of our patients.”

– Story by Dave Shelles

Photos provided

 

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.