STAFF
Dr. Amelia Knarr is the Executive Director for The Perry Initiative. She has a Ph.D. in Biomechanics and Movement Science from University of Delaware where she studied neuromuscular control after anterior cruciate ligament injuries. For the past seven years she has served as an Instructor and Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Biomechanics at University of Nebraska at Omaha where she taught courses on Biomechanical Statics & Dynamics, Ethics of Scientific Research, and Orthopedic Biomechanics. Dr. Knarr's research and service focuses on developing and implementing innovative and impactful youth STEM experiences through the lens of biomechanics in collaboration with UNO’s Department of Teacher Education. She is a native of the Pacific Northwest and now lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband Brian, her two kids, and their two cats.
Melissa Cline is the program coordinator for The Perry Initiative. She handles different administrative aspects of the programs in collaboration with program hosts and participants. She also works with volunteers and fellows to make sure all the equipment gets to each Perry program. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Delaware with a minor in Biomechanical Engineering. Melissa joined the Perry Initiative in Summer 2023.
Rosalind (Roz) Bendell
LOGISTICS SPECIALIST | PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Rosalind Bendell is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY where she played rugby and discovered her fascination with biomechanics. She is a University of Delaware Helwig Mechanical Engineering Fellow. Her current research focuses on the determining the potential user capabilities of a sensing knee sleeve for rehabilitation after knee surgeries or replacements. From leading the Clarkson rugby team to working for the Perry Initiative, Rosalindis passionate about supporting and empowering women and girls to achieve their full potential.
Sarah Donaldson
LOGISTICS SPECIALIST
Sarah Donaldson is an undergraduate student pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering with minors in Biomechanical Engineering and Disability Studies. She is also studying to receive her Master in Business Administration through a 4+1 program at the University of Delaware. At the University of Delaware, she is a member of the Division I Women's Rowing Team.
Margo Donlin
LOGISTICS SPECIALIST | PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Margo Donlin is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware. They received their Bachelor's of Science in Engineering from Elizabethtown College, with dual concentrations in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Margo was also the goalkeeper for the field hockey team. Their current research focuses on developing adaptive functional electrical stimulation to use in combination with an adaptive treadmill to improve forward propulsion and walking speed in individuals who have had a stroke. They have been working with The Perry Initiative since 2020 and are looking forward to continuing their partnership in their new role as an Assistant Professor at Bucknell University.
Kyra Twohy
LOGISTICS SPECIALIST | PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Kyra is currently working toward her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware. She received her BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Dayton, respectively, where she started her biomechanics research career. Her current research looks at the stiffness of brain tissue via MRI during development in humans as an assessment of brain health, with the hopes of improving diagnostic and intervention options for those with neurodevelopment conditions. She is passionate about creating opportunities to introduce students to the wonders of STEM.
Adaleigh (Addy) Nare
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
Adaleigh (Addy) Nare is an Undergraduate Fine Art student at the University of Delaware. Their current creative focus manifests in their inclinations for graphic design, photographic documentation, and other mediums such as painting and ceramics. Addy is passionate about expressing sociocultural and environmental issues in connection to the human condition in their personal artwork, as well as providing a platform for fresh ideas and profound conversation. Addy is also a graphic design intern for the University of Delaware and does work for other nonprofits and political campaigns.
Akshitha Adhiyaman
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Akshitha Adhiyaman is a medical student at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University currently on her research year with HSS Pediatric Orthopedics. She received degrees in Biology and Economics from Emory University where she was involved with research, community service, and south asian culture. Akshitha is excited to be a part of the Perry Initiative for the 2023-2024 year.
Sereen Assi
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Sereen Assi is a Ph.D. student in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her undergraduate BS degree in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Biomechanics. She was involved in tendon biology and tissue engineering research during her undergraduate studies which sparked her interest in orthopaedics and regenerative medicine. Currently, her research focuses on engineering drug-releasing scaffolds to treat meniscus tears. Sereen joined the Perry initiative in 2022.
Kaitlyn Downer
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Kaitlyn Downer is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Florida. She received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware. Her research is focused on using musculoskeletal modeling to understand mobility in older adults and individuals with neuromuscular impairments.
Andria Farrens
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Andria Farrens is a postdoctoral fellow at UCI, studying rehabilitation robotics for post stroke individuals, with a focus on understanding how the brain learns to control movement. She received her PhD from the University of Delaware in Biomedical Engineering, and her Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis. She has worked with the Perry Initiative for the past 5 years as a program specialist, and is passionate about making STEM education fun and engaging.
Hana Kalco
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Hana Kalčo is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Cell and Tissue Engineering and a minor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Rochester. Her research uses a unique explant co-culture of muscle, tendon, and bone to understand the influence of tissue crosstalk and sustained inflammatory processes to multi-tissue degeneration during rotator cuff injury. Hana joined the Perry Initiative as a Fellow in the fall of 2023.
Ana Love
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Ana Love is a recent graduate of the University of New Mexico where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with minors in Chemistry and Math. During undergrad, she worked at Sandia National Laboratories, where she studied additive manufacturing of metals and polymers. She also worked in rapid prototyping of 3D printed masks through the UNM Orthopaedics Biomechanics/Biomaterials Laboratory. She is currently focused on research and studying for the MCAT while applying to medical school. Ana started volunteering with the Perry Initiative in 2022 and became a Fellow in the fall of 2023.
Julia Nicolescu
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Julia Nicolescu is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Insititute. She graduated from Union College in 2022 with her bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Spanish. During undergraduate studies, Julia’s research focused on the biomechanics of heart and brain development of embryos. Presently, she is a part of the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory participating in research on bone stress injuries in athletes. Her work combines motion capture and computational modeling to understand how different bones and sections of the foot undergo loading during various activities. She hopes to pursue research and a future career that explores the effects of social, economic, and political structures and their impact on engineering, medicine, and education.
Kayla Pariser
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Kayla Pariser received her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton where she was also a member of the university athletic and concert bands. Currently she is a PhD Student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Delaware. She is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and a University of Delaware Helwig Mechanical Engineering Fellow. Her research, in computational biomechanics, involves using musculoskeletal models and simulations to predict, on a patient-specific basis, parameters for rehabilitation that will most effectively improve locomotion in stroke survivors. Kayla joined the Perry Initiative when she started graduate school at UD in the fall of 2018 and became a program specialist in the fall of 2019.
Nancy Park
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Nancy Park is a medical student at the Yale School of Medicine, currently conducting a research fellowship in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine Division. Her current research is in using 3-D modeling to better understand patellar instability and also in clinical outcomes of multiligament knee injuries. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Emily Sharp
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Emily Sharp is a PhD student in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering at Bucknell University. Her current research focuses on developing novel biomaterials and drug delivery systems for connective tissue repair. Emily joined the Perry Initiative in the fall of 2022 and is excited to work with the next generation of STEM-inists through Perry!
Katy Strand
PERRY INITIATIVE FELLOW
Katy Strand is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania studying bioengineering. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Delaware with minors in Biomechanical Engineering and Disability Studies. Her current research focuses on clinical and translational orthopaedic biomechanics centering around bone and tendon. Katy joined the Perry Initiative in the fall of 2022 and previously served as Program Coordinator.