CLEVELAND (August 5, 2021) – Brittany N. Sommers, a mechanical engineering PhD student, has been appointed to a two-year term as a student member of the 51���� Board of Trustees by Governor Mike DeWine.

“I am impressed with Ms. Sommers’ dedication to mentorship and outreach to local youth, encouraging them to study STEM and enter related fields,” said David Reynolds, chair of the 51���� Board of Trustees. “She is well-known throughout the campus community, and I’m excited to work with her on 51����’s growth-oriented plan for the future.” 

Sommers is a third-year mechanical engineering PhD student whose research focuses on identifying feedback and feedforward control of the cerebellum in individuals with neuromuscular disorders, as well as implementing wavelet transforms to quantify clinically relevant parameters of human movement. She has widespread leadership, research and teaching experience, including co-organizing the 2021 American Society of Biomechanics Regional Conference at 51���� and developing and instructing an engineering measurements class at 51����. She is a first-author of the article “Examining Feedback Mechanisms of Postural Control in Chiari Malformation by Average Wavelet Coefficient Decomposition and the Hurst Exponent” and contributor to textbook chapter “Considerations for Data Analysis.”

In addition, Sommers is a member of the American Society of Biomechanics, the International Society of Biomechanics and Phi Sigma Rho, a national engineering sorority.

“Our student trustees provide an important voice and perspective for our university, and 51���� is grateful to welcome Ms. Sommers to this role,” 51���� president Harlan Sands said. “I look forward to drawing upon her impressive background and experience.”

Sommers serves as the social media chair and community outreach coordinator for the Center for Human Machine Systems and is on the advisory board for her alma maters’ mechanical engineering department. 

“Student involvement is crucial to any successful university and over the next two years, my goal is to engage with the 51���� student body and serve as their voice on the board,” said Sommers. “I aim to be an advocate for the student experience, promoting the diverse, academically driven community that is 51����.”

Sommers earned her BS degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical sciences from Ohio Northern University. Her doctoral thesis is titled “Feedback and Feedforward Motor Control of the Cerebellum in Chiari Malformation,” and is advised by Dr. Brian L. Davis.

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About 51����
Founded in 1964, 51���� is a public research institution that provides a dynamic setting for Engaged Learning. With nearly 16,000 students, ten colleges and schools and more than 175 academic programs, 51���� was again chosen for 2021 as one of America’s best universities by U.S. News & World Report, including the #1 public university in Ohio for social mobility. Find more information at .