Getting to Know You: Roman Romanyuk
Roman Romanyuk – Kinesiology
Year in school: Junior
Hometown: Moscow, Russia
Why are you studying Kinesiology? What do you hope to do with that after you graduate?
I am studying Kinesiology because I have always been interested in how the human body moves and develops throughout the different stages in life. Kinesiology also combines a lot of other disciplines (biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, physiology) into a subject that thoroughly covers the body and looks closely at everything a person is and can do. When I graduate, I hope to attend a Physical Therapy School to become a PT that gets to work with athletes at a collegiate or professional level.
Why did you choose WSU?
I chose WSU because I wanted to stay close to my parents who live in Pullman. I also liked the idea of knowing the campus and removing the stress of being in a completely new environment from the already-stressful situation of being a college student.
What’s been your favorite part of the WSU experience thus far?
My favorite part of the WSU experience so far has been getting the opportunity to be involved in extracurricular activities such as being a TA, working in the EPPL, facilitating a class for the Honors College, being a member of the Kinesiology Club, and being an intern in Bohler for the Strength and Conditioning Minor.
What’s been the biggest challenge so far?
The biggest challenge so far has been finding the time to do everything I want to do on campus. Between the work in the laboratory, working a job, and doing all my homework and studying, it has been hard to find free time. The nice thing is that I love all the things I do and am a part of on campus, so it feels a lot less like a chore.
What do you do in the Exercise Phys Lab and how cool an experience is that?
My first year and a half or so in the lab was spent entering data for the Ironman project. This involved a lot of busy work and data entering. While it was not the most exciting thing I have ever done, it certainly helped me learn some interesting vocabulary and entering the data from various tests helped me better understand what the tests did. Starting during the summer of 2021, I was invited to help with various testing in the EPPL itself. I have now been a part of a Bod Pod test, a lactate threshold test, a resting metabolic rate test, and a VO2max test. This part of the experience was super exciting and informative, as I got to watch graduate assistants perform various tests that are crucial to understanding a person’s ability to exercise and perform. Moving forward this semester, I am going to be helping Cole Mercer with his cross fit study and administering Balance Error Scoring tests (BESS) to the participants.
As a college, we’re focusing on our people being “agents of change.” What makes you an agent of change?
My ability to look at a situation from different perspectives is what makes me an agent of change. Just because there is an approved way to do something does not mean it is the only way or the best way. Being able to think critically about a solution and propose new and improved ways to do something is how I want to leave a lasting impact during my time in college.
Favorites:
Food: Omelets with cheese
Book: Any of the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child
Song: I Like Me Better by Lauv
Movie: The Gladiator
TV Show: Criminal Minds
Restaurant in Pullman: Old European
Place to visit: Spring Valley outside of Troy, ID
Dream vacation spot: Oahu, HI