A current student and two graduates of the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (MSPO) program were recognized at Hanger LIVE in February.
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.
“These accolades highlight the exceptional commitment of our students to advancing the field of orthotics and prosthetics research,” said Adrienne Hill, MHA, CPO/L, SPO director and clinical assistant professor of prosthetics and orthotics in the university’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, a company that creates O&P devices and works with the MSPO program.
Photo courtesy of KSU
“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 are residents at Hanger Clinics in North Carolina and Texas, respectively.
Self, who earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science in 2022, expects to graduate from the MSPO program this spring. “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.”
