Dylan Johnson of Lufkin Conducting Kinesiology Research at Southwestern University this Summer

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Dylan Johnson (right) is conducting research on swimming starts with Scott McLean, professor of kinesiology at Southwestern University (left).

GEORGETOWN, TX (06/26/2013)(readMedia)-- Dylan Johnson of Lufkin is one of 31 students conducting research at Southwestern University this summer as part of a new student-faculty collaborative research program called SCOPE.

The SCOPE program is part of the HHMI-Southwestern Inquiry Initiative, which is funded by a $1.3 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Students participating in the eight-week program get their housing paid for as well as a stipend.

Johnson is working with Scott McLean, professor of kinesiology, on a study to determine whether the incorporation of an inclined platform at the rear of a swimming starting block can increase the horizontal force conducted by the rear foot as swimmers dive into a pool. McLean has developed a special starting block with four force plates that can provide immediate data about swimmers' takeoffs.

Johnson will be a sophomore at Southwestern in the fall and is majoring in psychology. He also is a record-setting member of the Southwestern swim team

Southwestern University is a selective, nationally recognized undergraduate liberal arts college with an enrollment of 1,400 students. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in Texas. For more information on Southwestern, visit www.southwestern.edu.