Alec Basten, Kinesiology BS, is set to graduate at the end of the Fall 2020 semester with summa cum laude honors. This was not a situation that Basten predicted for himself when he started out as a Freshman in the College of Education and Human Development. 

Growing up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Basten was always interested in sports. He participated in High School football, wrestling, and track and field. His senior year, he decided to run cross country instead of playing football for his final year. 

“I grew up playing a ton of different sports,” Basten said. “When I decided to run cross country my senior year I actually ended up getting a lot of attention. And then I got recruited to run at the University of Minnesota.” 

Having been an athlete for most of his life, Basten was drawn to careers that might keep him in and around sport. Specifically, he was interested in physical therapy, which inspired his choice to enter as a kinesiology student. At the end of his freshman year, he saw a note in an email that said “apply to the School of Kinesiology honors program if you’re interested.” 

“I was already looking for a way to continue to challenge myself academically,” Basten said. The honors program seemed like a good way to channel and grow my interest in science.

Once Basten was accepted into the honors program, he began  working with Sarah Greising, PhD, director of the Skeletal Muscle Plasticity and Regeneration Laboratory (SMPRL). Basten started as a lab volunteer, and eventually he and Dr. Greising worked out a research project that he could develop for his honors thesis, “Chronic oxidative dysfunction following volumetric muscle loss injury.” (Check out Basten’s final project here.)

“I hadn’t even considered a career of research before this experience,” Basten said. “By participating in the honors program I was able to drive my own research project, within the lab goals of course. I really fell in love with the scientific process, I enjoyed the whole thing, and I felt like I could see myself doing more of it in the future.” 

Basten’s newfound interest in research led him to reconsider his future path. Instead of looking into a graduate program that was specific to Physical Therapy, he set out to find programs that would allow him to also continue his pursuit of research. 

“It turns out that there are a couple of graduate programs that are a combined DPT (doctorate of physical therapy) and PhD programs,” Basten said. 

Basten and his advising team of Kristin Farrell, University Honors, and Colin Rogness, Kinesiology BS, spent a lot of time discussing his options, and trying to figure out what his next best step would be. And then, in addition to his adjustment to allow for a potential career in research, Basten faced a new and different challenge regarding his athletic season. 

“I had an extra season of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Basten said. “Suddenly it made the most sense to stay at the U of M to get my masters degree. That way, I could continue to run while preparing myself to apply for those dual programs I’m interested in.” 

With his new plan set and ready, Basten will begin his Kinesiology BS with an emphasis in exercise physiology in the Spring 2021 semester, advised by Greising. He hopes to finish in three semesters, and he’ll start his applications for DPT/PhD programs over the summer. 

For students interested in an honors experience, Basten said, “Do it!”

“Take that leap, if it’s available to you I would recommend at least exploring it. It gives you more of a real-world or a graduate school kind of experience. It was really rewarding for me, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to take their undergraduate education to the next level.”

For Basten, the lab experience and the increased advisor contact were big highlights of the overall experience. 

“First and foremost the whole lab experience was eye-opening and enriching,” Basten said. “Additionally, the network I’ve been able to build has been huge.” 

The School is proud to have Basten as an alum and soon-to-be graduate student. We’re excited to see where his big goals take him! 

“It’s been quite the year,” Basten said. “Everyone’s had to make a lot of tough adjustments. I’m looking forward to staying at the U of M, having another season of cross country and track, and maybe even running at the Olympic trials if everything goes just right.”