BIOMECHANICS & BEYOUND

“I try to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. Living in the moment has taken me to 47 of 50 states and 14 countries,” Konz said. “The traveling helps a person understand more about themselves.”

As well-traveled as she is, when Konz speaks, her distinct Midwest accent may tip you off — she’s not from around here. But growing up in Granville, Iowa (with a population of approximately 200), shaped the course of her life.

“Hard work, persistence, diligence, patience, time management and resourcefulness are all a part of being raised on a farm. You often didn’t see the fruits — or vegetables — of your labor until weeks or months later, and that taught me patience and planning,” Konz said.

HOMETOWN: Granville, Iowa.

PETS: Two Pomeranians, Annie and Ginger.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Any movie involving the Avengers.

FAVORITE BAND: Linkin Park.

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: “Other than mom’s cooking, it’s St. Elmo’s in Indianapolis, Indiana. The steaks are amazing, but the shrimp cocktail is off the charts.”

WHAT SHE’S MOST PROUD OF: “When I get a card in the mail from my mom, it’s always addressed to ‘Dr. Suzanne Konz, Ph.D’.

SOMETHING FEW PEOPLE KNOW: “I’m allergic to strawberries, but eat them anyway. I break out in total body hives. I can tolerate small amounts.”

Raised in a traditional German household with three siblings, Konz said her family’s 300-acre farm produced corn, beans and alfalfa, and was home to several cows, hogs and chickens.

“Driving tractors, unloading wagons, cleaning pens and feeding the animals were tasks I helped Dad complete. I was driving tractors and pick-ups by age 10.1 walked beans, detasseled corn, mowed lawns and baled hay for money in the summer” Konz said. “We raised most of the food we ate. Summers were spent canning produce and cleaning chickens. In the winter, we made sausage and tripe.”

Reminiscent of home, Konz now lives in rural southeast Ohio where the calls of cattle and chickens can be heard at surrounding nearby farms.

“The sounds remind me of home. The only thing missing is the slamming sound of the hog trough lids,” Konz joked.

After graduating from Iowa Wesleyan College and then Indiana University for her degrees in biology, life science and athletic training, Konz moved back home and ended up as a milk products tester at a local dairy company.

“The job market for athletic trainers was extremely competitive and limited. My first athletic training job was for an orthopedic clinic in Sioux City, Iowa. Along with providing sports medicine coverage to local high schools, I ran the company’s strength and conditioning programs,” Konz said.

In 1998, she got an opportunity in work in Utah. Konz knew the 2002 Winter Games were going to be in Salt Lake City, and she wanted to be there.

“I threw my name into the ring for the job and got it. I spent the next three years working at Eastern Utah Community College as an athletic trainer and instructor. I also was selected by the local organizing committee to work as an athletic trainer in the field of play for the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events.”

After her Olympian experience, Konz decided to continue up the academic ladder and get her doctoral degree with a biomechanics emphasis at Brigham Young University. It was there she got involved with USA Track and Field Sports Science and completed her dissertation on the hammer throw technique.

But Konz said it has been her position at Marshall which has allowed her to focus on biomechanics and become a researcher. Leaving Oklahoma State University, Konz said she chose to come to Marshall because of the research opportunities and the freedom to create two academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in biomechanics.

“Marshall has allowed me the ability to grow not only as an educator and researcher but as a person,” Konz said. “I wanted to understand the mechanics of the human body. Understanding how the body worked was challenging but easy. Athletes, people, the way we move and manipulate the world around us is amazing, and though we are all different, we all have some of the same equipment.”

Konz has several exciting research projects in the works — one project investigates acceleration forces and their impact on concussions, another focuses on 3-D printed hands for those who need prosthetics. With help from colleagues, Konz will soon be able to introduce the science of biomechanics at the state level.

“Dr. Steven Leigh and I received a STEM mini-grant from the Governor of West Virginia. Steve and I are developing a traveling road show. We are going to visit local schools to introduce area students to the field of biomechanics by conducting a Biomechanics Science Day at the schools,” she said.

As an educator, Konz is looking forward to having more chances to teach more students about the field of biomechanics while motivating them to succeed.

“My students think I am direct, but that’s only because I don’t want to waste their time or mine. Time is a finite thing. Nothing I expect of them is out of their capabilities. Most students do not have a clear perspective on how capable they are or what they can achieve. Students need to be pushed out of their comfort zones sometimes.”

Making a difference in her students’ lives is what motivates Konz to figure out what she refers to as “the puzzle” of life. With many personal challenges over the years, curiosity about this puzzle and ultimately, acceptance of it, has been her saving grace.

“Soon, I will celebrate my 10th anniversary of cancer survivorship. Also, a year after the cancer diagnosis, I was hit head-on by a Dodge ranch truck while on a motorcycle. I was in the hospital for a week with a lot of broken bones, lacerated liver, compressed retina and a concussion. I received over 100 stitches in my face alone. I endured a few surgeries to repair the damage,” Konz said. “I still feel the effects.”

To commemorate her 10th anniversary of surviving cancer, Konz plans to run a half marathon, which is one of the few long-term goals she has set for herself.

“I used to have the long-range goals and worries. Cancer and life-threatening accidents changed my perspective on what’s important about life. I focus more on living in the moment,” Konz said. “I don’t want to look back and say, ‘I wish I would have...’. In the future, I still see myself working in academics and hopefully making a difference and working puzzles ... or at least being curious about them.”

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