Pioneering Spirit
Pioneering Spirit RESEARCH FROM THE GROUND Roxanne Vogel struck career gold in 2017 when she landed a job at an athletic performance company that lets her combine her passions for nutrition and mountaineering. In 2019, she literally was on top of the world after reaching the peak of Mount Everest in a lightning-fast ascent that took less than two weeks—a world record. Using the research skills she gained while earning her master’s degree in exercise and sports nutrition at TWU, Vogel collected biometric data before and during her climb. Her findings could change the way climbers scale mountains. 2018 TWU Research expenditures 2017 94.8% increase 2014 2016 2015 TWU neuroscientist Dayna Averitt, botanist Camelia Maier and then-doctoral student Paramita Basu ’19 linked the analgesic properties of a compound found in a Texas plant to its potential use as an alternative to opioid-based pain killers. Their findings may lead to the development of non-addictive medications.
UP One goal I have is to contribute to the science of high-altitude physiology. The other is to be a role model for young women or minorities who haven’t spent much time outdoors, just to show them that it can be a place where we are welcome and can excel. – Roxanne Vogel ‘17 Photo Credit: Lydia Bradey
