When Megan Astle transferred to Utah Valley University, she wanted to be closer to home and family while still playing women’s soccer. She didn’t expect injuries to shorten her athletic career — and she didn’t expect to fall in love with the science behind injuries, either.

“I've kind of been good at not injuring myself growing up,” Astle said. “But when I do injure myself, it's the really weird injuries that no one knows about. And that, I think, has been really critical for me in being interested in all the exercise science stuff.”

Years after suffering a break in her navicular bone as a teenager, Astle was a starter for the Wolverines in 2022 when she injured the articular cartilage in her knee, ending her season. But as an exercise science major, Astle now had something specific — and personally relevant — to discuss with her professors.

“[UVU biomechanics professor] Tyler Standifird has been such an amazing professor for me,” Astle said. “That was probably the biggest thing that has changed my entire trajectory.”

Astle had originally intended to become a physical therapist. But, because of her involvement in Standifird’s research, including time in the UVU biomechanics lab, her career goals shifted. Suddenly, she said, she could see not just the quirks and oddities in the way people move but why they were happening and whether they might indicate a future injury.

“I’d think about my family members, my mom having a back injury or a double knee replacement,” Astle said. “So I’m like, ‘How could I help my mom? Oh my goodness, how can I help this person that I know?’ And then I'm starting to notice people in the hall. Through all those things, that really helped me to start to hone in and recognize, ‘Holy cow, this is really something that I'm interested about, and it does apply to me, but it also applies to everyone I know.’”

UVU’s biomechanics lab is full of state-of-the-art technology used to analyze the human body in motion: pressure plates on treadmills measuring force and speed, cameras to identify specific motions and timing, and computers to capture the data. Astle said Standifird recruited her to take his advanced biomechanics class and join his research team.

“I was a little hesitant because I was like, ‘Well, I don't even know about mechanics yet, let alone advanced biomechanics. Can you even take those at the same time?’” she said. “And he was like, ‘You'll be fine.’ And that's kind of how he is — just throw you right in so you can figure it out on your own, which is really cool.”

"Megan is exceptional in every single way,” Standifird said. “I can literally challenge her, throw anything at her, and she will jump in full force. She isn't afraid of anything, isn't afraid of stretching and growing. She is the perfect balance in those scenarios of a "hey, I am sinking" vs. "I've got this, Tyler." I wish I could clone her — clone her inquisitive mind, her passion, her work ethic, her organization skills. She has such a bright future ahead of her in the world of science."

One project Astle singled out involved studying the movement of women at different stages of pregnancy, from 20 weeks to 38 weeks. She said the experience was something many students don’t get to do until the post-graduate or doctorate level.

“The community impact of research alone, I think, is a lot bigger than people realize,” Astle said. “I don't want to say it changed the world, but I do think it can change the world. So much technology is just advancing so quickly. And I think biomechanics is the next in line to change the world.”

For Astle, the next change involves a graduate program in Florida, which she said may eventually lead to a Ph.D. She’s also considering teaching, whether at UVU or elsewhere. But wherever she goes, she said she wants to “make a splash” — and UVU has empowered her to do that.

“UVU is a place to discover who you can become,” she said. “I've seen it change me in so many ways, and it's been slow and fast. UVU has become such an important place to me. It's allowed me to see my potential and to pursue it. And I'm so grateful that I've had the chance to pursue something that I never thought I would ever be interested in, or even knew about, or knew existed.”