Alum’s undergraduate research drives passion for healthy transit

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Emily Dzieniszewski, who graduated from Penn State in 2021 with a degree in kinesiology, said her research experience as an undergraduate student changed the trajectory of her career and promoted her growth and learning in ways she couldn’t have imagined.

As an undergraduate student, Dzieniszewski, under the supervision of Melissa Bopp, professor of kinesiology, worked with two students to identify seven barriers that limit college-age women's use of biking for transportation compared to their male counterparts. Their results were recently published in the International Journal of Exercise Science.

Improving health at Penn State and beyond

Dzieniszewski said taking advantage of research opportunities while pursuing her undergraduate degree at Penn State developed her passion for improving public health, specifically by investigating traffic safety, injury prevention and health equity. Her research in active transportation solutions — forms of commuting or movement that involve physical exercise like walking or cycling — was just the start.

When Dzieniszewski took Bopp’s class, “KINES 426, Physical Activity and Public Health,” she said it piqued her interests in advocacy and movement science.

“Dr. Bopp's class was the first class where I learned more about public health,” she said. “Shortly after that course, I asked Dr. Bopp to join her lab, and from there I learned a lot in this area.”

Bopp’s course explores the built environment — like roads, sidewalks and buildings — and how it affects physical activity. Dzieniszewski said she gained many transferable skills from this class that prepared her for graduate study and the internships she participated in after her time at Penn State.  

“The class teaches the foundational principles of public health and how physical activity is important for public health outcomes like chronic disease prevention,” Bopp said. “Students learn about how environment, policy and community-level public health strategies can impact physical-activity participation.”

After graduating from Penn State, Dzieniszewski earned a master's degree in public health at the University of Pennsylvania in 2024. She investigated active transportation injuries among vulnerable populations and now serves as a clinical research coordinator at the university.

“I’m glad I learned what I liked and didn’t like in exercise science while an undergraduate student. That led me to explore new things as a graduate student,” Dzieniszewski said.

Why women bike to campus less than men 

More than two decades of research has shown that college students who walk or bike between classes and other places experience a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. Bopp and colleagues previously found that women and gender non-binary students’ likeliness to walk or bike was lower than their male counterparts by almost 30%, despite the known benefits of bicycling.

To identify the reasons behind this gender gap, for the current study, researchers collected responses in a web-based survey from 140 women and 13 non-binary students at Penn State University Park. Participants were asked to answer questions about five themes relevant to whether they biked: amount of traffic, personal preferences, safety concerns, riding conditions, and knowledge and ownership of a bicycle.

Dzieniszewski and her colleagues analyzed the data by race, gender, sexual orientation, mode of transportation and confidence in biking.

According to the results, a variety of factors explained the lower participation in active transportation among women compared to males. These factors include increased concerns about cycling safety, risk of public visibility, concern over appearance in the workplace, poor fitness levels, concerns about distance or weather or lack of confidence in bicycling skills and bicycle maintenance.

Dzieniszewski said few studies have examined why students of color may be less likely than others to participate in active travel. In this study, the researchers found students of color reported participating in active travel less than non-Hispanic white students due to concerns that their visibility on the street would make them a target for unjust violence or police surveillance.

Results also suggested that lower self-esteem and discrimination in a higher education setting may also impact whether members of the LGBTQ+ community participate in active travel.

According to Dzieniszewski, the results of this research should encourage universities to consider offering more education, training and resources to make biking a primary form of transportation to and around campuses. Additional safety measures and accessibility could lead to an increase in the number of women and non-binary student riders.

“Universities should increase infrastructure that facilitates active travel,” Dzieniszewski said. “Biking is a valuable habit and life skill that universities should promote for all their students via education and interventions.”

Undergraduate insight

Dzieniszewski said this undergraduate research experience at Penn State prepared her for real-world challenges. It helped her visualize the accessibility problems she would tackle early in her professional life. She encouraged all kinesiology students to utilize undergraduate research experiences as a bridge to success in their future careers.

“If you feel even a slight interest in trying something, I highly recommend pursuing it — you’ll always gain something valuable from the experience,” Dzieniszewski said. “Whether it’s a technical skill like data analysis or an interpersonal one, like effective communication.”

She advised students to look for professors who announce research opportunities in their classes and sign-up for email listservs that promote opportunities to engage in research. She also said students who take the initiative to explore department websites or social media can discover new opportunities more easily.

“Curiosity drives students to go beyond the surface, whether by seeking internships, participating in research or actively engaging in class discussions.” Dzieniszewski said. “Adaptability is crucial; students who adjust well to new environments and roles gain a wide range of skills and insights that help them find the best path to meet their goals. Furthermore, dedication is what ties everything together.”

Lucas Elliott, who graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2019 and earned a Master of Public Health from the College of Medicine in 2022, and Ashley Myers, who graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2023, also contributed to this research.