Title: Instructor, Athletic Training, College of Nursing and Health Care Professions
Years at GCU: 6 1/2
Academic degrees:
- B.S. in Athletic Training, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
- M.S. in Kinesiology and Sports Studies, Eastern Illinois University
What is your most notable accomplishment in your field, and why was it important?
I am an honorary member of Eastern Texas Athletic Trainer’s Association (ETATA) and was selected to do a couple of presentations and labs at the ETATA conference. These were the first professional presentations that I have taken part of in my young career as an academician. To gain the honorary membership is a great recognition of the hard work and commitment put in to promote the growth of the conference.
What are you most passionate about in your field and why?
My passion in our field is all about the initial on-field evaluation after injury. It doesn’t matter if it is non-emergent or an emergent situation. This conveniently fits right into the classes that I primarily instruct within the athletic training program. I want students to possess the same confidence I have when assessing a patient. One of my favorite phrases is, “Assess, don’t guess.”
What is a memorable moment you had in class, and what does that reveal about your teaching style?
A former student randomly showed up in the middle of lecture and thanked me for the skills they had developed in my class. They praised my great acting skills as a patient during a practical examination. It turned out that the student had a similar case at their high school, and the first thing they remembered was that practical examination. It was great to see the students in the class interact with the former student and connect the dots on the application.
What do you like to do for fun in your spare time?
Before coming to Arizona, I loved hiking and seeing new scenery. However, since moving to Arizona one of my favorite activities has been mountain biking. The cool thing about mountain biking is that you can move a lot faster and see a lot more. I can thank my wife (we were married March 16) for this hobby. The funny thing is that I told myself I would never spend a crazy amount of money on a bike. Well, I now have two.
What is something interesting about you that most people don't know?
I am a clean freak. For me to be most productive or be able to relax, I must be in a clean and organized environment. I think if you were to ask the Athletic Training faculty, they wouldn’t be surprised based on the cleanliness of our space and the organization of the stock room.
