Peak Performance

For Brenna Dunston, it was all about the shoes. Or shoelaces, to be specific. The recipient of the 2026 Provost’s Award for Graduate Student Excellence—given to an SU grad student who maintained the highest grade point average throughout their program and demonstrated outstanding leadership—focused her thesis on shoelaces.

Why shoelaces?

In earning her Master’s in Kinesiology, Dunston, ’26, explored human performance, biomechanics and footwear, in particular the effect of shoelace tension on ankle mechanics and performance during basketball-specific movements.

This included working on data collection, performance reporting for collegiate sports teams, biomechanical testing such as 3D motion capture and evaluation of wearable robotic devices.

In this Q&A Dunston shares her advice for new students, who her faculty mentors were and what’s next for her.

**

Name: Brenna Dunston
Graduation Year: 2026
Major: Kinesiology
Hometown: Tulalip, WA

What made you decide to attend Seattle University?
The format of the kinesiology program. I love that the program sits at the intersection of kinesiology and data science.

What did you like best about Seattle University?
I liked that there was freedom to pursue what you are passionate about. If you are passionate about something, the faculty will help you make it come to life!

What is your advice to incoming students?
Build your community. Learning is collaboration and investing in your community will benefit all aspects of your education.

What are your hobbies/what do you like to do for fun?
I like to spend time outside, workout, go to sports games and teach Pilates. I listen to a lot of music, mostly rap and reggae. I also love to sew! I make a lot of my own clothing from repurposed materials. 

Have you had any professors who have been particularly impactful to you?
I wouldn’t be here without Kyle DeRosia. As my thesis advisor his mentorship helped bring my research to life. Brittany Heintz Walters and Cristine Agresta are extremely talented women and have also been particularly impactful to me.

What are your career ambitions?
I would love to work in athletic product development and continue my work with the biomechanics field. There is so much to be discovered in biomechanics, especially in historically under-researched populations.

How did you feel about winning a Student Excellence Award?
I was surprised because I didn’t even know I had been nominated. I’m very honored to be recognized for such an award.