LAB:SYNC is excited to have the following new team members as part of our group at UMass Amherst:
Dr. Jared Ramer (Postdoctoral Research Associate)
Dr. Jared Ramer is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago where he earned his master’s and PhD in Kinesiology and Nutrition. During that time he was also head instructor for undergraduate courses in fitness, exercise techniques and special topics training courses. Ramer earned a bachelor’s degree in wellness program management with a minor in fitness leadership at Graceland University in Iowa, where he was also an exercise instructor. As an intern for Iowa Team Fitness, he educated PE teachers about exercise instruction and taught fitness leadership to high school students. He was also the recipient of a music grant to act as the piano accompanist for the Graceland University Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, and individual student performances during his undergraduate studies.
Ramer has been a certified personal trainer for 15 years, a fitness class instructor for 10 years, and wellness consultant in both research and corporate settings for over 5 years. His interests include martial arts—particularly Capoeira—playing the piano and drums, and reading about historical and modern physical culture philosophy.
Laura Selberg (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
Laura Selberg is a second year student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, majoring in Biology and Dance. She is currently an Undergraduate Research Assistant with LAB:SYNC, and looks forward to being involved in research that encompasses both of her areas of study. Outside of LAB:SYNC, Selberg is on the Executive Board of her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and is engaged with the on-campus disability advocacy group, Access UMass. Selberg hails from Seattle, Washington, where she studied ballet and contemporary dance under Charlotte Hart, Mary Pisegna Gorder, and Mariko Nagashima.
Isabel Hansen (Summer Research Intern)
Isabel Hansen is a recent graduate from the University of Vermont, where she received her degree in exercise science. Hansen’s research is driven by her interest in the growing evidence that dance effectively combines and enhances the therapeutic outcomes associated with artistic expression and exercise. Hansen’s other research interests lie in kinesthetic awareness and choreography retention as it applies to neurodiversity. This interest connects to her previous laboratory experience, focused on validating linear measurement tools on the Kinovea software as it applies to evaluating the efficacy of using video self-modeling as a motor skill learning tool for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Her career goal is to improve the accessibility of dance, beginning with her capstone project, in which she designed and implemented an intergenerational dance improvisation workshop to drive physical, psychological, and social well-being. Additionally, she is the founder and president of UVM Dance Force, a novel college dance club, with the goal of providing access to dance classes for all students, regardless of previous experience, personal style, or physical ability. Hansen completed a summer research internship at LAB:SYNC, where she had the opportunity to continue exploring dance, and the synergistic intersection of artistry and exercise as a catalyst for wellness.