There are many exciting things happening in the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects (ORSP), however, one of the newest and most exciting, is the creation of a Residential Research Assistantship Program. Dr. Robert Pettitt, ORSP Director, was the driving force for this program, which provides full-time employment for students looking to enhance their professional opportunities and advance healthcare through guided research experiences.
Students who participate in this program have the opportunity to assist Dr. Pettitt in research with the Force Science Institute, join a faculty member’s research project, implement their own research program, as well as have experience with the residential campus of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP). The Residential Research Assistantship program is available for master’s students, doctoral students nearing their dissertation phase, and even post-doctoral students desiring additional directed research for their curriculum vitae. The Residential Research Assistantship Program accepts applications on a rolling basis. Details on the Residential Research Assistantship Program may be found here.
In the inaugural year of the program, two RMUoHP Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students arrived on campus in December 2018 to begin working with Dr. Pettitt and the ORSP. Sarah Fretti will be assisting with speech-language pathology faculty Dr. Philip Sechtem’s research on vaping and Michael Kantor will be assisting on Force Science Institute research with Dr. Pettitt.
Sarah Fretti is a current PhD student in the Health Promotion and Wellness concentration track at Rocky Mountain University. Fretti is a former instructor in the Exercise Physiology program at Valdosta State University where she also served as the Wellness and Fitness Director of the Center for Exercise Medicine and Rehabilitation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology from Valdosta State University (2010) and her MS in Exercise Science from Florida State University (2012). Fretti is certified through the American College of Sports Medicine as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. Her research and practice interests include risk management and responses to exercise related to metabolic syndrome, proper exercise programming for older adults, population health management, and wellness coaching.
Michael Kantor is a PhD student in Human and Sport Performance at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. He completed a BA in Exercise Science at Augsburg University in 2016 and a MS in Exercise Physiology at Minnesota State University in 2018. While at Minnesota State University, Kantor worked as a teaching assistant, taught Human Anatomy, and interned in Cardiac Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic. Before starting his PhD, he worked as a Personal Training Director at LA Fitness. His research interests include examining the applications and physiological variables that influence the Critical Power Concept and the role exercise contributes in treating chronic conditions.
