Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
J Biomech. 2023 Apr;151:111516. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111516. Epub 2023 Mar 5.
From the perspective of a Black woman in the biomechanics field, it is my observation that many Black biomechanists are exposed to the field of biomechanics late into their academic careers. STEM (science, technology, and mathematics) is such a broad/encompassing field, yet students are only typically given a narrow introduction to biology and chemistry prior to college. These basic science courses are not enough to continue recruiting and building a pathway for future scientists to pursue STEM careers in the interdisciplinary field of biomechanics. Outreach programs, like National Biomechanics Day (NBD), can expose students to biomechanics earlier than the usual undergraduate exposure for those majoring in health/exercise science, kinesiology, or biomedical/mechanical engineering. NBD has increased accessibility to biomechanics, which has led to increases in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the biomechanics community, particularly for young Black students. Outreach programs like NBD are crucial to reaching, engaging, and recruiting future young Black biomechanists, and others from underrepresented communities, within the US and beyond.
从一名从事生物力学领域的黑人女性的角度来看，我的观察是，许多从事生物力学的黑人学者都是在学术生涯后期才接触到这一领域的。科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）是一个非常广泛的领域，但学生在进入大学之前通常只接受生物学和化学方面的狭隘介绍。这些基础科学课程不足以继续招募和为未来的科学家在生物力学的跨学科领域从事 STEM 职业建立途径。推广活动，如国家生物力学日（NBD），可以让学生更早地接触生物力学，而不是主修健康/运动科学、运动机能学或生物医学/机械工程的学生通常在本科阶段接触生物力学。NBD 增加了人们对生物力学的了解，这使得生物力学领域的多样性、公平性和包容性有所增加，特别是对年轻的黑人学生而言。像 NBD 这样的推广活动对于在美国和其他国家/地区接触、吸引和招募未来的年轻黑人生物力学学者以及来自代表性不足社区的其他人来说至关重要。
