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Our Doctoral Students
IAN JUMP
Ian is a third-year PhD student at Auburn University with a passion for bridging the gap between athletic performance and sports science. He earned his master’s degree in Strength and Conditioning from Wittenberg University, where his thesis focused on athletic performance in college athletes. Following his graduate studies, he worked as a strength and conditioning coach at Denison University before beginning his doctoral work. Ian plans to integrate strength and conditioning practices into the field of baseball and softball biomechanics to help optimize athlete development and performance.
RYan Zappa
Ryan Zappa is in his fourth year of the PhD program. He completed his undergraduate degree in Athletic Training at Waynesburg University, with a minor in Exercise Science. After graduation, he became a licensed and certified athletic trainer. He earned a master’s degree in Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. While completing his master’s, he performed research, including a thesis titled “Adaptations to Segmental Body Composition and Anthropometric Measurements in Division 1 Athletes from a Season of Competition.” Ryan pursued the SMML to further his knowledge in the field of Sports Medicine, obtain experience working with motion capture equipment, and pursue baseball and softball research. Working in the SMML, he has conducted biomechanical analyses on athletes and studied factors related to optimizing performance and prevention of injuries. His research interests include investigating the throwing mechanics of catchers as well as identifying predictors of injury and performance during athletic motions. Ryan enjoys spending time with family, playing golf, motorsport, and traveling to hike in national and state parks.
Kai-Jen Cheng
KAI-JEN CHENG is a second-year PhD student specializing in sports biomechanics, with a focus on human movement analysis and strength and conditioning science. He completed his first master’s degree in Taiwan and later advanced his research training at Texas Woman’s University, concentrating on biomechanics and motor behavior. His research experience includes working with collegiate and professional baseball players, applying motion capture, GRF analysis, and strength training protocols. With a strong commitment to bridging science and practice, his work aims to uncover biomechanical strategies that enhance athletic performance and mitigate injury risks. Drawing from both laboratory-based research and field-based applications, his ultimate goal is to provide athletes, coaches, and practitioners with practical, data-driven solutions that can improve performance longevity, particularly in baseball and other overhead sports.
BEn LErch
TO BE UPDATED SOON
Kevin Rodriguez
UPDATED SOON!
Katherine Everhart-Grindle
Katherine is a third-year PhD student at Auburn University whose research interests include biomechanics, human performance, and injury risk. She earned her master’s degree in Kinesiology from Georgia College & State University, where her thesis examined the relationship between lower-body interlimb asymmetry and sprint performance in collegiate softball players. Building on this work, her doctoral research investigates movement mechanics and musculoskeletal function in softball athletes, with a focus on identifying factors that influence performance and injury risk. Katherine’s long-term research goals are to use biomechanical and human movement data to improve physical function, performance, and injury prevention.
Maddy klubertanz
To be updated soon!
Joe Caplan
To be updated soon!
Nick Fiorenza
To be updated soon!
Sofia Byrd
Sofia is a senior undergraduate student at Auburn University majoring in Exercise Science with a minor in Sports Coaching. She is an undergraduate fellow for 2026-2027, during which she is focusing on the relationship between shoulder rotation angle and velocity, fastball velocity, shoulder distraction force, shoulder rotation torque, and peak elbow valgus torque in collegiate pitchers during NCAA games. Through this research, she hopes to better understand the biomechanical factors associated with improving pitching performance while reducing injury risk in collegiate pitchers. She plans to present her research at the Southeastern ACSM conference and the Auburn University Undergraduate Research Symposium this spring. After graduation, Sofia plans to pursue her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree to combine her background in biomechanics research with clinical practice.