Oswego East grad's curiosity turns into award-winning research project at Northern Illinois University

If you have a knee ailment, it’s a painfully important question: Does Kinesio taping around that area of your leg actually make a difference? Or is it all, well, in your head?

This past year, Aurora native Jayla Scott, a freshman biomedical engineering major at Northern Illinois University's College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, set out to secure an answer. Based on her research, the jury is still out on whether—and how much—Kinesio taping makes a substantial impact. However, Scott made a clear impression on a panel of judges at NIU’s Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement (CURE).

In late April, her project, “The Effectiveness of Kinesio taping for Pain Perception in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Topical Literature Review of Recent Randomized Control Trials,” was selected for the first-place award from among 26 projects in one of the Health and Human Sciences categories.

It’s a standout achievement for any student, but especially remarkable for a first-year researcher and demonstrates how much Scott has grown in her research, communication skills and presentation skills through her Research Rookies experience.

Her faculty mentor, Associate Professor Ting Xia, said he was “thrilled and so proud of her for earning such a prestigious award.” Her enthusiasm was a key to her success, he noted.

“There is no better motivation than self-interest,” Xia said. “She picked her own research topic and maintained the good attitude from the beginning to the end. And Jayla showed so much diligence and determination throughout the year—and those qualities will enable her to become a brilliant scientist or engineer.”

`Ready to expand my horizons’

With the honor comes $200 from the Dr. Arnold Hampel and Dr. Denise Kennedy Award Fund. But an even more significant impact is Scott’s rising confidence in her research and academic abilities.

“Going into the program, my goal was just to learn what it’s like to be a researcher,” Scott recalled. “I didn’t know what I’d want to pursue but was ready to expand my horizons. When I learned I’d won this award, I was shocked—and excited.”

Designed to reduce pain and nurture healing, Kinesio taping is a therapeutic technique that employs elastic tape to support muscles and joints. Drawing from nine studies over the last decade that encompassed 658 patients, Scott’s conclusion: there is no statistical difference in the perception of pain between those who did versus those who did not use Kinesio tape; however, the tape does help with mobility and a sense of awareness of the knee’s role within the entire body.

Scott dedicated about five hours a week to the Research Rookies program, which is part of the Office of Student Engagement and Experiential Learning.

A second-generation Huskie—her mother, Shona Holman, was a College of Business student for two years before completing her degree at Roosevelt University—Scott is a graduate of Oswego East High School.

Unlike some other universities, at NIU students can get immersed in research projects from the start of their college experience. “Jayla is a vivid example of early engagement in research,” Xia said. “With desire and determination, a freshman can do just as well as upperclassmen.”

CURE provides key forum

Open to students across all colleges and majors at NIU, CURE offers students the chance to formally present faculty-mentored undergraduate research, artistry and engagement projects that they have participated in during the academic year.

This year, it featured 207 projects. Included in that figure were 34 engineering students who worked on 21 CURE projects, including seven under the auspices of the Research Rookies initiative. Collectively, they showcased the application of engineering principles to real-world health and infrastructure challenges.

Other CEET students’ contributions to the showcase encompassed a blend of data‑driven innovation, sustainability, biomechanics and health analytics. For example, students employed machine‑learning to analyze brain signals and gait videos and used agent‑based modeling to improve pedestrian crossing design.

One civil and environmental engineering project tackled local sustainability planning, one explored “brain games” to support cognitive aging and another, similar to Scott’s research, was a biomechanics investigation probing high‑intensity resistance training for bone density.

This coming year, Scott has been accepted into the McKearn Fellows Program through NIU. And she is interested in learning more about cellular and tissue engineering, with a long-term goal of attaining her master’s and doctorate degrees in biomedical engineering.

A member of the NIU chapters of the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers, for which she’s serving this year as academic excellence chair, Scott has a message for fellow Huskies who might be intimidated by the notion of conducting research.

“Research is for everybody. You don’t need to have a STEM major to do research,” Scott said. “You could be in the arts or a journalism major and still participate in research. It's just another way of learning."

Learn more about the NIU Research Rookies program.

NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET) provides affordable access to a world-class engineering education. Our fully accredited programs emphasize hands-on experience, with small classes taught by experienced, dedicated faculty that help a diverse array of students explore and ignite their passions in bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. Learn more by visiting our website.