Major: Kinesiology – Sports Medicine concentration & French Studies
Minor: Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Research Advisor: Jennette Palcic Moreno, Baylor College of Medicine
My name is Julie Park, and I am a junior from Duncan College double majoring in Kinesiology concentrating in Sports Medicine and French Studies.
Coming into Rice, I knew I wanted to work in the medical field after graduation, but I was unsure of what I wanted to study in the meantime – wanting to find a topic of study I would not only enjoy taking classes in but that would spill over into my non-academic life. A competitive athlete since the age of 5 (gymnastics, swimming, pole vault), I found the kinesiology major to be my perfect fit.
The Kinesiology- Sports Medicine major has acted as the perfect complement to my endeavors outside of the classroom. As an Aquatics Physical Therapy technician at the Med Center Therapy clinic, I perform treatments on patients with an array of neurological disorders and surgery complications. I am always so grateful to be able to put my knowledge from classes, such as Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology, into action.
I’ve also had the opportunity to work as a Student Researcher at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center (under Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital). Since my freshman year, I have been studying children’s circadian and circannual rhythms as a member of the Moreno Lab. During the summer, I worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator on an NIH-funded intervention study exploring children’s biorhythms through the tracking of melatonin and anthropometric measurements.
During the past year, I have been the Historian of SARCOMERE (Students at Rice Committed to Optimizing Medical, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Education), the student organization for Kinesiology Sports Medicine majors. I enjoyed working with the officer team in creating this new club, establishing new traditions, and contributing our student voices to the Kinesiology Department.
On campus, I am also engaged in STRIVE (Students Transforming Rice Into a Violence-Free Environment), the Korean Students Association, and study abroad. In my free time, you’ll see me biking around campus (Beer Bike!), teaching swim lessons at the Rec, or drinking iced coffee while pondering over 19th century French poetry.
After my four years at Rice, I hope to pursue an MD. I am particularly interested in orthopedic and pediatric medicine.