Hello! I'm Ricky Pimentel. I love bicycles, movement, and using data to improve health. 

My goal is to enable people to be active and enjoy it. Participating in physical activity is one of the best ways to maintain physical and mental health. I focus on walking and bicycling, which combines physical activity with efficient and sustainable methods of transportation. 

I hope that by promoting human-powered locomotion, we will see more people and bikes on the streets, rather than cars. This could transform our communities with happier & healthier citizens, as well as less pollution, carbon emissions, and congestion. Cheers to a future filled with bikers and walkers!

Publications
Strava
GitHub
LinkedIn

Interests

Bicycles

I've been riding on and tinkering with bicycles for over 12 years. There's no better feeling than the freedom of riding through a forest or around town on a bike that you built.

Data Visualization & Automation

Why write when you can code? I'm all about analyzing datasets, designing figures, and automating data processing techniques.

Activity & Health

Staying active is a simple way to maintain my physical and mental health. Without regular exercise, I might not only be out of shape, but  would also probably go crazy with stress!

Recent Events

Things have been quite busy as I wrap up my doctoral degree here in North Carolina. Here's what I've been up to lately...

Presenter in Carolina Data Science Now - Summer of AI

I shared my work on the Walking Energy Audit from Video for the Carolina Data Science Now research series. I talked about my recent findings, future plans, and how my work can fit into broader mobility and transportation design. Thank you for the opportunity to share my work!

Ricky completes PhD in Biomedical Engineering

On April 3rd, I successfully defended my dissertation! My work is titled An Energy Audit of Human Gait: computational and experimental assessment of how structure and function shape walking economy. 

Ricky awarded UNC Public Service Award

I am honored to receive the Robert E. Bryan Public Service Award for a Graduate Student from the Carolina Center for Public Service. I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering my time and effort with the ReCyclery and Latinx in Biomechanix over the past few years. If you're not involved with your community, get out there and do some good!

ReCyclery Featured in Local News

We had some reporters reach out to us at the ReCyclery this fall, asking to share our story. Both the Daily Tar Heel and Chapel Hill Local Reporter featured articles highlighting the ReCyclery's mission and work. Thank you journalists for getting our efforts out there! 

I'm a Local Bike Champion!

I values the importance of cycling as a sustainable mode of transportation as well as a great way to stay active in our everyday lives. By volunteering with the ReCYCLEry, I promote  self-reliance through bicycle maintenance and repair while encouraging constructive community involvement.
People For Bikes - Local Bike Champions

Biking Market Podcast

I spoke with Daniel Matthews from the Biking Market about my involvement with ReCyclery NC. We discussed the role of bike co-ops/non-profits,  broad trends in the bicycling industry, and a bit about my research. Spotify

NCSU A2i Workshop

As a part of the Accelerate to Industry (A2i) at North Carolina State University, I developed my business, leadership, and communication skills while also learning about career pathways in industry post-PhD.

National Biomechanics Day 2022

As a part of the NC Science Expo, the Applied Biomechanics Lab showcased some of our human movement analysis techniques and insights. We all use super-skills to generate our movement, maintain our balance, and hit a target!

HMSC Day at UNC

Finally, back to in-person scientific conferences! It felt great to meet new folks around North Carolina and re-connect with some friendly faces at the Human Movement Science  Research Symposium this spring.  

ASB Student AMA Presentation

As a part of the student-author "ask-me-anything" series from the American Society of Biomechanics, I gave a talk on one of my recent publications, discussed tips for writing articles, and answered questions about my research and coding practices. [YouTube]