“I’ve been immersed in the medical field my whole life,” said kinesiology major Nadine Zuckerman, the daughter of a pediatric physical therapist. “I like physical therapy because the therapists don’t have to be in and out of a patients’ rooms in a matter of seconds. You get to know them and really spend time helping them.

“I guess I caught my mom’s ‘helping gene,’ ” acknowledged the Newhall resident.

The “helping gene” kicked in when Zuckerman expanded the worKPHT fitness program for CSUN staff employees as her 2008-09 Presidential Scholars Award project. Kinesiology professor Steven Loy, her mentor, set her free “to get it up and running campus wide, to create a program that could last year after year.”

Sharing Loy’s concern for employees whose sedentary work precludes healthy exercise, Zuckerman spent the summer of 2008 creating a manual with exercises and stretches to promote fitness in the workplace. With funds from the Kinesiology Department, she produced 25 100-page illustrated manuals for worKPHT interns and support faculty.

Zuckerman trained the interns in sessions at Loy’s home. “I went through every single exercise and stretch in the book with them,” she said, followed by three weeks of practice in time for the start of the fall semester.

Because of Zuckerman’s work, CSUN staffers who have their supervisors’ consent now can contact Loy (steven.loy@csun.edu) to set up individual 30-minute training sessions with the interns. “Programs are custom-made for the client,” she said, “so he or she can do the exercises three or four times a day for five minutes.”

“I spent time thinking it all out ahead of time,” said Zuckerman. Since she was carrying about 18 units, working as a physical therapy aide off campus and administering worKPHT at the same time, her organizational skills were vital to the success of the program.

And succeed it did. The 2008-09 program served well over 100 staff members, and there will be twice as many physical therapy interns in 2009-10.

Zuckerman’s plans include a graduate degree in physical therapy and a career of helping people who need her.

For more on the Presidential Scholars program: www.csun.edu/scholars.

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Presidential Scholars