WYOMISSING, Pa. — Diana Stoltzfus has certainly made the most of her college experience at Penn State Berks, from conducting research on the effects of virtual reality (VR) on exercise, to earning a 4.0 GPA, to being a star player on the women’s volleyball team. She will graduate as student marshal during Berks' fall 2024 commencement ceremony, set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Santander Arena in Reading.

The title of her commencement speech is "The Power of Perseverance." Perseverance was a theme during Stoltzfus' time at Penn State Berks. She explained in her speech that she began her studies during the coronavirus pandemic, and failed to make the volleyball team on her first attempt. She also felt uncertain of choosing the right path.

She stated, “I am very grateful to everyone who supported me on this journey, including the faculty and staff here at Berks, my coaches and teammates, and my family. They were there for me every step of the way and helped to shape me into the person I am today. They pushed me to be the best that I can be and encouraged me to never give up or take the easy way out when faced with challenges. Most importantly, I’m thankful to God for all his gifts and blessings he has given me that I didn’t deserve, and for the strength he has given me to finish this journey and now pursue the next steps in my career.” 

Stoltzfus is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science. She holds the distinction of being the first kinesiology student who conducted research in the college’s Exercise Physiology Laboratory to present at an international conference. She has been conducting research with her professor, Praveen Veerabhadrappa, associate professor of kinesiology, for the last two years in the college’s state-of-the-art facility.

Their research has shown that the benefits of virtual reality extend beyond video games. It suggests that using emerging technology, such as VR, during exercise can improve the experience and reduce the perceived effort for college students. In fact, Stoltzfus and Veerabhadrappa were recently awarded the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 30th Congress of The International Society of Hypertension Conference in Cartagena, Colombia, for their submission titled 'Comparison of College Students’ Health Metrics During Traditional & Virtual Reality Based Cycling.'

According to the research description, most college students do not meet national physical activity guidelines. The popularity of new technology such as VR may be used to promote physical activity and exercise in sedentary college students. The purpose was to investigate potential differences in college students’ heart rate, blood pressure, and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during stationary cycling with and without a VR headset. The preliminary results suggest that using VR technology during exercise may be a viable tool to promote physical activity among otherwise sedentary populations.

One significant finding of the study is that participants perceived the activity as easier during the initial five minutes of cycling using the VR headset.

Stoltzfus explained that she wanted to study college students specifically because many students are busy with classes and other activities and find it difficult to find time to exercise. She added that VR exercise programs are growing in popularity.

Prior to receiving this award, Stoltzfus also presented her research this spring during the Higher Education Council of Berks County Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference. The Higher Education Council of Berks County includes all five institutions of higher learning in Berks County: Albright College, Alvernia University, Kutztown University, Penn State Berks and Reading Area Community College.

During her time at Penn State Berks, Stoltzfus has excelled academically, earning a 4.0 GPA. She also received many academic awards, including the Penn State Provost Award, the Evan Pugh Scholar Award, and President Walker Award, just to name a few.

Outside the classroom, Stoltzfus is a star member of the Penn State Berks women’s volleyball team.

“This season, Stoltzfus was named to the United East All-Conference Third Team and All-Sportsmanship Team,” said Seth Goodyear, athletic program specialist. “She exits the program tied for the career lead in service aces with 142. In addition, she ranks 10th in program history in digs, recording 715.”

A native of Honey Brook, Stoltzfus grew up on a dairy farm as one of seven children. Stoltzfus said that her day begins at 7 a.m. She commutes from home and begins by working out in the college’s recently renovated Beaver Athletics and Wellness Center. From there, she attends class and works on her internship, which requires 180 hours of job shadowing at three different locations: an orthopedic doctor’s office, with a nurse practitioner, and at a family practice. At the end of the day, she attends volleyball practice before returning home.

Stoltzfus also gained real-world clinical experience working at Hickory House Nursing Home in Honey Brook and Philo Physical Therapy in Elverson.

When asked what she plans to do after graduation, she said that hopes to build upon her research and her other experiences at Penn State Berks to further her dreams of earning an advanced degree as a physician assistant.