Two Thousand and Twelve EATA Convention Compendium

SPEAKER BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Tim Adams, MPA, PT, ATC is a Physical Therapist at Maine General Hospital in Oakland, ME.  He previously served as the Head Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist at Colby College (Waterville, ME) from 1980 to 2008. 

Adams earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree from Northeastern University in 1979.  He received his Master’s Degree from the University of Maine at Orono in 1992.  He is a 25 year member of the NATA.
Adams has been very involved in his professional associations.  He served District 1 as Secretary from 1992-98.  He was a 2006 recipient of the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award and was inducted into the Maine Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

Ed Agresta is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and coach.  For over 20 years, he has been presenting his special insights into the most powerful techniques available for improving personal motivation, developing peak performance, and allowing listeners to feel good about themselves. 

Agresta is a fascinating, humorous speaker and a gifted communicator, who has given more than 1500 presentations to corporations, colleges, high schools, and athletic teams.  He has authored three books.  His most recent book is “101 Radical and Tremendous Teaching Tools, Tips, and Techniques, For Transformational Thinking in the Classroom and in Life.”

Brant Berkstresser, MS, ATC oversees Harvard's athletic training program and works directly with Harvard's football, coed and women's sailing and men's and women's golf teams.  He is also an approved clinical instructor for Boston University’s, Northeastern University’s and Salem State University’s Athletic Training Education Programs. 

Berkstresser came to Harvard in 2008 after spending five years as Georgia Southern's Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine.  Prior to Georgia Southern, he served as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at the University of Maryland from 1997-2003.  Berkstresser also spent four years as an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Kansas State and completed an Internship with the New York Jets.

Berkstresser has given regional and international presentations for the College and University Sports Medicine Foundation. He was co-author of "Traumatic Injuries of the Cervical Spine" and co-author of a study presented at the 2008 National Strength and Conditioning Symposium, "Physiological and Perceived Psychological Responses of Collegiate Football Athletes to Ventilated Shoulder Pads during a Scrimmage." He is currently involved in two studies at Harvard looking at the effects of training on the heart as well as an injury rate study.  He also serves as a member of the Ivy League Concussion Committee and the NCAA Competitive Safeguards Committee. 

Sara Brown, MS, ATC, Executive Committee for Education (ECE)
The NATA's Executive Committee for Education (ECE) sets the direction for athletic training education. Emphasizing a commitment to improving patient care through an evidence-based approach, the ECE proactively influences best educational practices that reflect the profession's interdisciplinary nature and commitment to learning across the professional's lifespan.

Brown has been the Chairperson of the Executive Committee for Education since 2009.  She previously was the President (2005-07) and Vice President (2001-06) of the Board of Certification (2005-2007). 

Robert C. Cantu, MA, MD, FACS, FACSM professional responsibilities include those of Clinical Professor, Department of Neurosurgery and Co-Director Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.  He is a Senior Advisor to the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee.  Dr. Cantu is a second opinion expert on Head and Spine conditions for the NLFPA and is a member of the Mackey/White TBI Committee for the NFLPA.  He is a founding member and Chairman Medical Advisory Board Sports Legacy Institute, Waltham, MA.

Dr. Cantu is an Adjunct Professor in Exercise and Sport Science and the Medical Director of the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, University of North Carolina, an ongoing registry instituted in 1982 for data collection and analysis of spine and head injuries.  He is Co-Director of the Neurologic Sports Injury Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston and Chief of Neurosurgery Service, Chairman Department of Surgery, and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts.

Dr. Cantu is the Vice President on the Board of Trustees of National Operating Committee for Standards on Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). He is the Neurosurgical Consultant for the Boston Eagles football team and the Boston Cannons professional soccer team.  He also consults with numerous NFL, NHL and NBA teams.

He has authored over 340 scientific publications, including 23 books on neurology and sports medicine, in addition to numerous book chapters, peer-reviewed papers, abstracts and free communications, and educational videos. He has served as associate editor of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise; the Exercise and Sports Science Review, and on the editorial board of The Physician and Sports Medicine, Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, and the Journal of Athletic Training. In 2003 Dr. Cantu became the section head for the Sports Medicine Section of Neurosurgery.

Mike Carroll, MEd, LAT, ATC Since 2003 Mike Carroll has been the Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Director at Stevensville High School in Stevensville, TX.  He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology from Texas A&M University and a Master’s Degree in Athletic Training from the University of Virginia.

Carroll has a long history of serving in leadership positions in athletic training organizations.  He has served on local, state, and district boards of directors and is a past president of the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association (SWATA).  He has also served on many National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) committees and task forces.  In 2009 he was a member of the Pre-Season Heat Acclimatization Guidelines for Secondary School Athletics Task Force.  He is currently the liaison from the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) which is the state activities association for interscholastic athletics in the state of Texas. In the fall of 2011 he spearheaded a successful effort to have the UIL adopt pre-season practice guidelines similar to those that the NATA pre-season practice task force created.

Carroll has received the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award.  He has also received the Bobby Gunn Unsung Hero Award and the Eddie Wojecki Award from SWATA.  He has served as an athletic trainer for the Texas High School Coaches Association all-star basketball game and frequently serves as a test examiner for the Texas state athletic training licensure exam.

Douglas Casa, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA has been the Director of Athletic Training Education at the University of Connecticut since 1999.  He is a professor, in Department of Kinesiology and a Research Associate at U Conn and is the Chief Operating Officer of the Korey Stringer Institute, Storrs, CT.

Casa attended Allegheny College and earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Biology in 1990.  He moved on to the University of Florida and completed his Master’s in Athletic Training (1993).  In 1997 Casa received a PhD in Exercise Science from the University of Connecticut.

Casa was chair of the NATA Pronouncements Committee from 2002-2010.  Since 2004 he has been the Associate editor of NATA Journal of Athletic Training.  He was the Chair of the Inter-Assoc. Task Force on Exertional Heat Illnesses Consensus Statement (2003).  He was a member of group that wrote the NATA Position Statement on Exertional Heat Illnesses (2002).  Casa was also the Chair of group that wrote the NATA Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for Athletes (2000).  

Casa co-chaired the ACSM/U.S. Army Roundtable on Return to Duty following Heat Stroke (2009) and was a writing group member for ACSM on several fronts; Position Statement on Exertional Heat Illnesses (2007), Youth Football & Heat Stress (2005), and Hydration and Physical Activity (2004)

Casa has been a National Athletic Trainers’ Association Fellow since 2008 and an American College of Sports Medicine Fellow since 2001.  He was selected for the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award in 2009, the NATAREF Medal for Distinguished Athletic Training Research in 2008, the NATA Sayers “Bud” Miller Distinguished Educator Award in 2007.  Casa was the Connecticut Athletic Trainers’ Association Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2004 and the NATAREF New Investigator Award, 2001. 

Casa has been a spokesperson about heat and hydration issues on/in: The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The Weather Channel, ESPN (Outside the Lines, College Gameday, etc.), NPR, PBS, The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, and Runner’s World, among many other sources.

Casa has also served on the medical staffs of the Boston Marathon, NYC Marathon, Falmouth Road Race, Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, Marine Corps Marathon, Five Points of Life Marathon (Gainesville, FL), & numerous other events.   

Kevin Cummings a 1983 graduate of Boston College, has been involved with the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation and the Bay State Games since 1984. He began as a Sports Coordinator, was promoted to Director of Operations in 1992 and was appointed as Executive Director in 1999.

Cummings is an active member of the National Congress of State Games, which represents over 35 states and more than 500,000 athletes annually. He served as the organization's president from 2005-2007, was a member of the National Congress of State Games Board of Directors from 2002-2007, served as Chairman of the State Games of America Committee from 2003-2007, and was a member of the Executive Committee for the 2007 State Games of America. He currently serves as the liaison between the National Congress of State Games and the United States Olympic Committees Multi Sports Organizational Council.

Cummings is the Director of Volunteer Security for the Boston Marathon (since 1997) and serves as a statistician for the Boston College football and basketball teams and the New England Patriot. He also serves as a consultant for DMSE event management and is involved with the operation of major participatory events including the Jimmy Fund Walk, the BAA Half Marathon, and the Feaster Five Road Race.

Cummings has also worked for the 2008 US Women’s Marathon Olympic Trials as a member of the organizing committee, the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games, the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games, the NHL All-Star Game, the World Junior Hockey Championships, the World Cross Country Championships, the McDonald's High School All-America Basketball Game and the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships.

Micki Cuppett, EdD, ATC, Commission for Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)
The CAATE is the agency responsible for the accreditation of 360 professional (entry-level) Athletic Training educational programs.  The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Inc. (NATA), cooperate to sponsor the CAATE and to collaboratively develop the Standards for Entry-Level Athletic Training Educational Programs. 

Micki Cuppett is the President of CAATE.  She has served on the NATA Educational Multimedia Committee and numerous committees for the Board of Certification.   She received the NATA Service Award in 2007.

Tanya Dargusch, ATC has been the Washington Township (Sewell, NJ) High School Athletic Trainer since December 1988.  A native of Detroit, Michigan, she obtained her BS degree in Sports Medicine from Central Michigan University. 

Before Dargusch arrived at WTHS, she was one of the pioneers of industrial athletic training with her work at Walbro Corporation, Cass City MI.  She also was employed as an athletic trainer at Life Care Institute.  Over the years she has worked with United States Olympic teams through the USOC, traveling with women’s Team Handball to France and Switzerland and Women’s Volleyball to Puerto Rico. 

As a member of the Athletic Trainers’ Society of New Jersey, Dargusch has served on the Executive Council, Government Relations, Public Relations, and Policy & Procedures committees.  Dargusch currently is the District 2 Secretary and she serves as the liaison for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association to the American Academy of Family Physicians and is a committee member on the Council on Employment.  Dargusch also serves as a Clinical Instructor for Rowan University, providing instruction for junior and senior athletic training students who are assigned to WTHS.  She was a recipient of the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award in 2008.

Jennifer Doane, MS, ATC, CSSD, LDN is a registered/licensed dietitian, as well as a Certified Athletic Trainer, who has owned and operated her own business, Advantage Nutrition & Wellness, for nutrition counseling since 2000 in Bethlehem, PA. 

In 1995, Doane received her Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Education – Athletic Training from Salisbury University.  In 1997, she received her Master’s in Nutritional Science, while serving as Graduate Assistant in The Department of Sports Medicine, at The University of Connecticut.  Doane then completed her Dietetic Internship at The College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown, NJ.

Doane is currently a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Nutrition (CSSD).  She reaches athletic populations with evidence-based sports nutrition information by serving as a speaker for the NCAA speakers grant program. 

Scot Dapp, MS, ATC was named the Moravian College Director of Athletics & Recreation in July 2011, stepping down as head football coach after a 24-year coaching tenure that was the most successful period in Moravian football history.  This included two trips to the NCAA Championship Tournament, Middle Atlantic Conference champions in 1988, and Commonwealth League champs in 1993, and four berths in ECAC Championship games.  He earned Coach-of-the-Year accolades from the MAC three times. His 24-year record was 144-103-1 and his .597 winning percentage ranked among the top 50 active NCAA Division III coaches. He is Moravian's all-time victory leader.  

A 1973 graduate of West Chester University in health and physical education, Dapp earned his Master’s Degree in Physical Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Dapp is a professor of Physical Education at Moravian, and served as an assistant softball coach for 11 seasons.

In 2006, Dapp completed his term as President of the American Football Coaches Association, the 81st President of the Association and was only the fifth Division III coach to hold that position in the 83 years of the organization. He is currently a member of the NCAA Football Rules Committee, serving as chair through 2012. He also serves on the NCAA Committee for Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.

Also in 2006, Dapp served as an assistant coach for the East squad at the Hula Bowl College All-Star game in Honolulu, Hawaii, and he received the John Whitehead Award at the Nike Coach of the Year Clinic for his contribution to the game of football. In 2002, Dapp was recognized by the All-American Football Foundation with the John Vaught Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding performance in the profession. In 2007, Dapp was honored with the Outstanding Association President Award by the All-American Football Foundation. Dapp was inducted into the Boyertown Area High School Hall of Fame in 2008.

Tom Dodge, PhD, ATC, CSCS is an Assistant Professor of Athletic Training at Springfield College, Springfield, MA.   Prior to starting at Springfield, Dodge was a Clinical Assistant Professor of Athletic Training at Boston University.

Dodge graduated from Merrimack College in 2001 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Sports Medicine.   He moved on to California University of Pennsylvania for his Master’s in Athletic Training (2002).   In 2006, Dodge earned his PhD in Physical Education from the University of South Carolina.   Dodge is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  
Dodge’s areas of instruction are research methods in Athletic Training and Evaluation of the Upper Extremity and Spine.  He also provides Clinical Supervision to athletic training students at Springfield College.   His research interests include athletic training education, Socialization issues in athletic training, and clinical outcomes measures in athletic training.

AJ Duffy, MS, ATC, PT has been the Head Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist at Widener University in Chester, PA since 1990.  Prior to moving to Widener he was an Assistant Athletic Trainer at Temple University for two years and six years at the University of Michigan. 

A Michigan native, Duffy earned his Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Education from The University of Michigan (1980), his Master’s from the University of Arizona (1981), and his Physical Therapy Degree from Drexel University in 1983.

Duffy has been an Adjunct Faculty member at Temple since 1991, teaching Therapeutic Exercise.  He has spoken regularly at the local, state, regional, and national levels on various topics in Athletic Training.  Duffy is a past President of both the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association (1999-2000) and the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society (2006-08) and was recently elected NATA District 2 Treasurer, and will start his term in June.

Denise Fandel, MS, MBA, CAE, AT Ret, Executive Director – Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC)
The Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) was incorporated in 1989 to provide a certification program for entry-level Athletic Trainers (ATs). The BOC establishes and regularly reviews both the standards for the practice of athletic training and the continuing education requirements for BOC Certified Athletic Trainers.

Fandell has served as the Executive Director of the BOC since 1997. Her undergraduate education was completed at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota as a teacher-athletic trainer. She was hired as Assistant Athletic Trainer in 1983 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and then was hired as Head Athletic Trainer in 1985. She served UNO until May of 1997 when she took over as the BOC Executive Director.

Tony Fitzpatrick, MA, LAT, ATC is the Head Athletic Trainer and a teacher at Timberline High School in Boise, ID.   He has 24 years of experience and is a former President of the Idaho Athletic Trainers’ Association (1995-2001). 

He was selected as an NATA Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer in 2010.  Fitzpatrick is currently the meeting coordinator of District 10, the Northwest Athletic Trainers’ Association.  He participated in developing the 2009 NATA Consensus Statement for Preseason Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines for Secondary School Athletics.  Fitzpatrick also was involved in the development of the Appropriate Medical Care for Secondary School-Age Athletes (2004).

Mike Gay, MS, ATC is the Assistant Athletic Trainer at Penn State University, working with men’s and women’s gymnastics and fencing.  He joined the staff in 2001 and was elevated to associate head athletic trainer in 2006.  He is currently working towards completing his Ph.D. in Kinesiology at Penn State and has been involved in research focusing on Resting State Functional MRI (rs-fMRI) analysis, EEG analysis, and return to play criterion for athletes recovering from concussion.  He was the 2011 EATA Frank George Scholarship Winner.

Michael Goldenberg, MS, ATC, District 2 Director
Goldenberg was elected Director of NATA District 2 in 2011, having previously served for six years as District 2 Secretary. He was also the Chair of the District Secretary/Treasurer's committee and founding Chair of the NATA Webmaster's Advisory Group. At the state level, Goldenberg served as the ATSNJ Secretary for four years and was Chair of the ATSNJ Technology Committee.  At both the state and EATA level Goldenberg was responsible for developing the organization websites and making on-line registration a reality.

Goldenberg earned his Bachelor's of Science Degree from Plymouth State University in 1984 and his Master's of Science Degree from SUNY at Buffalo in 1989.

Goldenberg is currently the Associate Athletic Director and Athletic Trainer at the Lawrenceville School located in Lawrenceville New Jersey.

Said Hamdan, MS, ATC was appointed the Director of the Wellness Institute at Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus in September 2011.  He is returns to LIU where he served as the Head Athletic Trainer and Curriculum Director for Graduate Athletic Training Studies from 1986-1997.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree in biology from Brooklyn College in 1984 and Master’s degree in Athletic Training from Long Island University in 1986.

Hamden formerly was an Assistant Athletic Trainer for New York Knickerbockers, 1997-2004.  He also has served as Associate Head Athletic Trainer for St. John’s University, 2010-2011.  He has served as District Representative for New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association from 1993-1997.  He was an Athletic Trainer for 1994 Soccer World Cup at Giants Stadium and he has volunteer for the United States Olympic Committee Volunteer in 1996.  

Katie Jerdee is a financial analyst at Hercules Growth Capital, and a recent graduate of Northeastern University.  In 2006, Jerdee suffered a stroke during a team run with the club soccer team.  The stroke affected the right side of her body.  She had to learn how to write, walk, and run again. While her balance and coordination were affected as well as some of her motor skills, Jerdee’s determination to fight through these struggles paid off and  she was able to return to soccer again the following September.

Although she has suffered additional TIAs and has undergone numerous tests to find the cause of her strokes, Jerdee has helped turn this event into something positive in her life.  She has become extremely active in many programs/facets of the American Heart Association & American Stroke Association. 

In the fall of 2007, Jerdee helped take part in the “Faces of Heart Disease and Stroke” campaign and the Merrimack Valley Heart Walk. Currently, she is the Vice Chair of the new Community Teams Committee for the 2010 Boston Start! Heart Walk.  As part of this new initiative, she is helping to expand the Heart Walk’s reach into community organizations.  Jerdee is also a four-time Boston Marathon and Falmouth Road Race finisher with Tedy’s Team.  Through her involvement with Tedy’s Team, Katie has also fundraised over $20,000 for the American Stroke Association. 
She was featured in a “Stroke Warning Signs” campaign with Tedy Bruschi. This included a New England Cable News TV public service announcement, billboards across the State, MBTA posters in downtown Boston and meeting with legislators, including Governor Deval Patrick, to gain more funding for stroke research.  In 2010, she participated in the first annual STOP Stroke: Act FAST lobby day with the Department of Public Health.  She has also been awarded the “Heart of Our Mission” award and the Leonard Zion Stroke Survivor Award from the American Heart Association for all of the work she continues to do for stroke awareness.   

Tim Kelly, MS, ATC has been the Head Athletic Trainer at the United States Military Academy for the past 20 years where he oversees a staff of 13 athletic trainers that coverage 26 sports and provide athletic training services to 900 cadet-athletes.  He has served in numerous capacities at the state, regional and national levels.  He has lectured extensively on the need for more Certified Athletic Trainers in the military and has recently been named President of the Armed Forces Athletic Training Society.  He is currently a member of the NCAA Football Rules Committee.

Kelly is a graduate of the University of Iowa Athletic Training Education Program and received a Master’s Degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Craig LoNigro, MS, ATC is a 1991 graduate of Hofstra University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and a Minor in Athletic Training.  He also received his Master’s Degree in Education from his alma mater in 2003.

LoNigro is currently a Physical Education/Health teacher and Athletic Trainer at Comsewogue High School on Long Island.  Craig and his wife Kristin, both Certified Athletic Trainers, have owned Long Island Sports Care Group, Inc. since 1995.  LISC is a Sports Medicine Consulting business providing such services as Athletic Training coverage, AED sales and service, First-Aid / CPR and AED Certification courses as well as emergency management for youth athletic leagues.  Through LISC, Craig coordinates coverage for hundreds of youth athletic events throughout the year.
LoNigro has served as the Athletic Trainer for the USA Men's Lacrosse 2003 U-19 World Champions, the Boomer Esiason Foundation, The New York Jets, The New York Saints Lacrosse as well as many other levels of athletics. He serves as the President and Founder of the Suffolk County High School Athletic Trainers Association and is very active in issues related to Athletic Trainers on Long Island.  LoNigro recently testified in front of Congress on behalf of the NATA regarding an update on concussion updates/guidelines.  

As an Athletic Trainer for over 20 years, Craig became frustrated with the inability to properly and professionally protect his most trusted tool of the trade, his medical kit. After years of wrapping his medical kit in a trash bag, his vision, research and design has led to the invention of the FOOBAG.  The FOOBAG has finally come to market with a lot of determination and support from friends, family and colleagues.

Frank Mastrangelo, ATC, LAT, EMT is currently the Associate Director of Athletics and Head Athletic Trainer for the Dexter and Southfield Schools in Brookline, MA.  He previously was the Head Athletic Trainer from 1993-2001 and then as Director of Student Life/Dean of Students until his departure in 2005 at Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA.  Mastrangelo is a graduate of Westfield State College, and the Dean College and Northeastern Universities EMS program.

Mastrangelo is an EMT and has worked on both private and city ambulance services and still maintains his certification.  He previously worked in the clinical setting at Saint Mary’s Medical Center in Wisconsin, which included work at several local high schools and serving as one of the Athletic Trainers for the Racine Raiders, a semi-pro football team. 

In 2007 Mastrangelo suffered a stroke.  As a part of his recovery and changing his lifestyle, he has run marathons for the American Stroke Association (ASA).  In 2008, he was recognized by the Partnership for a Heart-Healthy Stroke Free Massachusetts as the recipient of the 2008 Citizen’s Award in honor of broad-based efforts to reduce stroke. He ran his 5th marathon in Boston for Tedy’s (Bruschi) Team this past April.  He has raised over $25,000 for the American Stroke Association and was recently honored by the American Heart Association’s Greater Boston chapter with a Heart of Our Mission Award for his efforts.   

In 2003, Mastrangelo was selected by ATOM as the “Athletic Trainer of the Year”.  In 2005-06 and 2006-07 he was selected for Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.  In 2008 he received the NATA Service Award and in 2011 was the recipient of the EATA’s Henry Schein Scholastic Athletic Trainer Award.  

Mastrangelo volunteered at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in July, 1999 and again in 2005 at the USA Basketball International Sports Invitational in San Diego.   He previously served by Governor’s appointment on the Massachusetts the State Board of Allied Health, Division of Professional Licensure from 2006-2010.   He has also served as an Athletic Trainer for the NEPSAC Boy’s Ice Hockey tournament, Hockey Night in Boston, and the National High School Squash Championships.  He has been a member of the BAA Boston Marathon Medical Team since 1999.  He has volunteered as the Medical Coordinator for the Bay State Games and the Medical Coordinator for the Groton Road Race.  

Linda Mazzoli, MS, ATC, PTA, PES is the Director of Marketing and Professional Development at the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute, Camden, NJ.  Mazzoli’s over 20 years of experience boasts an extensive clinical leadership background with 17 years of it in management positions, serving as director, vice president, president and a business owner.

Mazzoli graduated from West Chester University in 1990 with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Athletic Training. She earned her Associate of Science Degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pa, in 1994.  Linda completed her Master’s of Science, Exercise Science and Health Promotion degree in 2004 from the California University of Pennsylvania. During her Master’s studies Mazzoli also completed her Performance Enhancement Specialty Certification (PES) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Mazzoli has served in various roles for state, regional and national health care associations, such as Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society’s (PATS), PATS Co-Chair Clinical Committee, Athletic Trainers’ Society of New Jersey (ATSNJ), NATA EDTF and COE Hospital Task Force; as well as BOC RD7 committee. She currently serves on the Harcum College’s Business Advisory Board and Harcum College’s Alumni Award Committee, and is the Chair for NATA’s Council on Revenue.  She was a recipient of the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award in 2010.

Neal McGrath, PhD. is a neuropsychologist in the Boston area with more than 25 years of clinical experience. He specializes in the evaluation and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injuries. He is the Clinical Director and founder of Sports Concussion New England, now serving dozens of schools as well as individual student athletes from many high schools, colleges, and elementary schools in New England. Dr. McGrath is New England’s first Credentialed ImPACT© Consultant.

Dr. McGrath is also a Consulting Neuropsychologist for the NeuroRestorative (formerly MENTOR) Acquired Brain Injury Program, the Massachusetts Statewide Head Injury Program, and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. He developed and consulted for many years to New England Rehabilitation Hospital’s Head Injury Community Services program in Quincy. He has also collaborated on clinical research for the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Grant at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

Dr. McGrath was presented with NATA’s 2011 Clint Thompson Award for Clinical Advancement for his paper "Supporting the Student-Athlete in the Classroom after a Sport Related Concussion" which appeared in The Journal of Athletic Training in October/November 2010. 

In the fall of 2010 Dr. McGrath served on the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Clinical Advisory Committee to assist with the development of departmental regulations for the state’s new concussion safety law.

Ann McKee, MD directs the Neuropathology Core of the Bedford Veterans Administration Medical Center, where she is responsible for conducting neuropathological analyses of brain tissue and maintaining the Center’s Brain Bank. Dr. McKee also leads clinical-pathological case conferences as part of the Center’s Research Seminar series.

Dr. McKee completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin and received her Medical degree from the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. She completed residency training in neurology at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital and fellowship training in neuropathology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was Assistant Professor of Neuropathology at Harvard Medical School from 1991-94, when she became Associate Professor of Neurology and Pathology at Boston University School of Medicine. In 2011, she was promoted to Professor of Neurology and Pathology. Dr. McKee directs the Neuropathology Service for the New England Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VISN-1) and the Brain Banks for the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, Framingham Heart Study, and Centenarian Study, which are all based at the Bedford VAMC. Dr. McKee is also the Chief Neuropathologist for the National VA ALS Brain Bank.

Dr. McKee’s research interests center on the neuropathological alterations of neurodegenerative diseases, with a primary focus on the role of tau protein, axonal injury, trauma, vascular injury, and neurodegeneration. Much of her current work centers on the long-term consequences of repetitive head injury from contact sports and military service. As a Board-Certified Neurologist and Neuropathologist, she is particularly interested in the clinical, behavioral and psychological manifestations of pathological disease and the neuroanatomical localization of clinical symptoms. She has written widely on many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Body disease, Parkinson’s disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Multiple System Atrophy, Frontotemporal Degeneration, Corticobasal Degeneration and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). She has participated in several NIH-sponsored workshops on Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Vascular Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury.  Dr. McKee has unparalleled experience in the neuropathology of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and recently won the Moore Award Honorable Mention for her paper entitled “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy of Football Players” at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neuropathologists. Her work has been essential in establishing the neuropathological diagnostic criteria for CTE and for microvascular CNS injury. She is also keenly interested in the neuropathology of normal aging and disorders of the spinal cord.

David Middlemas, EdD, ATC has been Associate Professor and Director of the ATEP Program at Montclair State University since 2000.  Prior to joining the staff at Montclair, he was the Director of Athletic Training Education at William Paterson University.   

Middlemas is a 1977 graduate of Muhlenberg College.  He completed the Graduate Athletic Training Certificate Program at Penn State in 1979.  He earned his Master of Arts in Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1984. He then received his doctorate in Educational Statistics and Measurement from Rutgers University in 1999.

In addition to his faculty responsibilities he has served on the Annual Report Committee for (CAATE), and has been a CAATE site visitor for program accreditation.  Middlemas is the chair of the Critical Incident Stress Management committee for the ATSNJ.

Alan Needle, MS, ATC is currently a doctoral student studying Biomechanics and Movement Science at the University of Delaware.  He received his Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from Boston University and his Master’s in Exercise Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine from the University of Delaware.  He has served as a Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer at Delaware State University for 2 years, as well as at U Del for 2 years.  He has also had the opportunity to work internationally as an Athletic Trainer with Team USA at the World Maccabiah Games in Israel.

As a researcher, Needle’s focus has been on learning how functional ankle instability, and general joint stability, affects the nervous system at different levels.  His previous research investigating peripheral nerve activity in subjects with ankle instability received awards from the Eastern Athletic Trainers’ Association and was recognized as a finalist at the NATA annual meeting.

Amanda Nicoles, MA, ATC, LAT is originally from Northern California.  She is a 2004 graduate from the Boston University-Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Athletic Training.  She returned to California and received her Master of Arts degree in Kinesiology at the University of California, Fresno in 2006.  After graduating, Nicoles moved to Florida and spent a year at the University of Miami as an assistant athletic trainer.    

Relocating back to Boston in 2007, Nicoles has served as the Head Athletic Trainer at Pine Manor College and Merrimack College.  During her tenure at Pine Manor, she has worked with and researched issues concerning transgender student-athletes.  Since joining the Emerson College Sports Medicine Staff in the winter of 2010, Nicoles has continued her work with transgender student-athletes and has presented to the Great Northern Athletic Conference, American Medical Society of Sports Medicine, and has served as an administrative consultant for colleges in the Boston area.

Darin Padua, PhD, ATC is an Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science and Director of the Sports Medicine Research Laboratory at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  He is an adjunct faculty member in the following Departments at UNC: Orthopaedics, Biomedical Engineering, and Allied Health Sciences.  Padua serves as the Director of the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Research Institute and is the acting Chair of the Research Committee for the NATA Foundation.

Padua received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Athletic Training from San Diego State University (1996) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1998).  He earned his Ph.D in Sports Medicine from the University of Virginia in 2001. 

His primary research interest focuses on understanding factors that influence knee stability, identification of risk factors associated with knee injury, identification of evidence based prevention strategies for knee injury, and validation of performance enhancement training techniques. Current research includes investigating predictive factors for ACL injury, biomechanical comparison of ACL injury prevention interventions, examination of modifiable neuromuscular factors that contribute to movement impairments, validation of clinical movement assessment techniques to predict muscle imbalances and injury risk, and validation of corrective exercises commonly used for injury prevention and performance enhancement.

Richard Pierce, ATC, LAT worked as the Head Athletic Trainer at Westfield State College (now Westfield State University) in Westfield, MA for 29 years.  He was instrumental in the establishment of an approved athletic training education program at WSU.  He retired in 2007, but has remained active in the educational program and regularly lectures at Westfield and Springfield College. 

He is also a regular volunteer for the Boston Marathon medical team. Pierce is a 1973 graduate of American University in Washington, DC and worked as the Athletic Trainer at American until 1977, when he moved to Westfield.  During his time in DC, he also worked for the Washington Diplomats Pro Soccer team and completed two summer Internships with the Washington Redskins.

Pierce has been active in the EATA, serving as the Secretary/Treasurer (1984-87) and has served on several committees.  He was a recipient of the EATA’s Cramer Award in 1990 as well as a recipient of the NATA’s Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award.   

Brian Robinson, MS, ATC, LAT has been the Head Athletic Trainer at Glenbrook High School, Glenview, IL since 1977.  He was one of the first full-time high school Athletic Trainers’ in Ohio. He holds Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Education from Ohio State University and a Master’s of Science in Athletic Training & Sports Medicine from the University of Arizona. 

Robinson has had the opportunity to work with the Cincinnati Bengals Athletic Training Staff and with Olympic athletes at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.  He has presented on various topics at sports medicine conferences and has authored articles for professional journals. He has appeared on ESPN’s Outside the Lines discussing current concussion management strategies for high school athletes.  

Robinson serves as the National Athletic Trainers Association’s Chairman of the Secondary School Athletic Trainers Committee.  He is also a member of the Illinois Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame.  In 2008, Brian was recognized by the National Athletic Trainers Association as a Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer.

Colonel Rocco Armonda, MD serves as the Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventional Neuroradiology for the National Capital Neurosurgery Consortium at Walter Reed National Military MEDCEN. He is also the Director for Neurosurgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences where he serves as an Associate Professor.

He completed his undergraduate studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1986 majoring in chemistry and matriculating to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD (USUHS).  He graduated from USUHS in 1990 and was inspired to pursue neurosurgery. His surgical internship and neurosurgery residency was completed at Walter Reed Army MEDCEN. Armonda was selected for a fellowship in Cerebrovascular Surgery and Interventional Neuroradiology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia from 1997-99.

Dr. Armonda’s assignments have included Commander of the 207th Neurosurgery Team in Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2003 to February 2004. During this time he was awarded the Bronze Star for service. Additional awards have included the Army Medical Proficiency “A” Designator for excellence in both clinical and academic medicine in 2009, as well as the Young Neurosurgeon’s Award in 2005 from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

Dr. Armonda continues to focus on the areas of cerebrovascular disease, neurotrauma and neurocritical care. He has advanced the use of multi-modal monitoring in the military and treatment techniques to patients with neurotrauma and stroke with both invasive and non-invasive monitoring. This includes the application of hypothermia in severe wartime trauma for cerebral protection. Dr. Armonda’s seminal work includes the detection and treatment of traumatic cerebral vasospasm, traumatic psuedoaneurysms, decompressive craniotomy for wartime trauma, cranial-facial post-traumatic reconstruction, multimodal AVM treatments and the design and deployment of the advanced neurointerventional operating room. He has over 50 publications and is currently editing an atlas of wartime neurotrauma. He has been active in the CNS and AANS sections of cerebrovascular surgery and neurotrauma as well as an active member of the neurocritical care society.

Dr. Armonda’s research efforts include clinical studies on the long-term outcomes of wartime post-hemicraniectomy patients; nanotechnology designed biologically active stents for neurovascular disease, non-invasive monitoring of cerebral blood flow, the neurovascular effects of blast injuries, and neurosurgical surgical simulators for hemicraniectomy training modules.

Lori Sawyer, MA, ATC is the owner of LS-Fitness based in New Jersey.  She is also a certified Personal Trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  She studied at East Stroudsburg University where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree (1995), and she completed her Master’s of Arts Degree at Montclair State University in 1999.

Through LS-Fitness, Sawyer has created a health and wellness program for mothers and families called Mommy Moves.  Her programs, including Mommy Moves Stroller Fitness, Extreme Mommy Boot Camp, and Mommy Runs, have helped hundreds of mothers and families create healthier lifestyles by combining proper fitness, core strength, nutrition, positive energy and time management.  Her focus is to teach from the core, and educate mothers on proper form, and engaging core strength to work towards there fitness goals.  LS Fitness also runs workshop series live in person and online for athletes, families, and anyone who wants to create a healthier lifestyle.

Sawyer has experience working at all three collegiate levels including Seton Hall University and UCLA as an athletic trainer.  She also has several years of experience at the scholastic level. 

Jeff Stone, MEd, ATC has been associated with the Bay State Games since 1984. He has been an Athletic Trainer, a Coach and Official in Track & Field, a Site and Venue Director for various sports, and the Medical Director from 1989-1991 and from 2009 to the present. Stone was named to the Bay State Games Hall of Fame in 2006.

Stone graduated from Northeastern University in 1976 and has served as Head Athletic Trainer at Framingham State College (1976-1984); Natick High School (1984-1995); Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center (1995-2004) and Suffolk University (2004-Present). He is a Past President of ATOM, and is the recipient of the Koko Kassabian Service Award and a member of the ATOM Hall of Fame.

Stone is a Past District One Director and Secretary of District One (2004-10), and has been honored with the NATA Athletic Trainer Service Award and the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer Award. He was recognized by the EATA with the Micro Bio-medics (Henry Schein) Scholastic Athletic Trainer Award in 1992, and served for 12 years on the EATA Executive Board.  He is currently the EATA History and Archive Committee Chairperson.

Stone is a Past President of the Mass. Track and Field Officials Association, and a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Assn. (MIAA) Sports Medicine Committee.

Joshua Stone, MS, ATC, CES, PES, NASM-CPT obtained his undergraduate degree from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania in Movement Studies and Exercise Science in 2000. To supplement this degree, Stone furthered his education by obtaining a Master of Arts degree in Kinesiology from San Jose State University in 2003.

His professional experience includes 10 years as an athletic trainer at the NCAA Division I level at Long Beach State University and San Jose State University. From 2008-2010 Josh was partnered with a physiatrist to develop patented functional testing methodologies for workers’ compensation patients. Currently, he is the Sports Medicine Program Manager for the National Academy of Sports Medicine where he develops advanced educational tracks designed to augment the skills of health and wellness professionals.

James L. Thornton, MA, ATC, PES, CES received his Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Utah State University in 1987.  He then earned his Masters of Arts as Graduate Assistant at the University of the Pacific (CA) in 1989.  Thornton was hired as Assistant Athletic Trainer at Pacific in the fall of 1989 before accepting his current position as the Head Athletic Trainer/Director of Athletic Training Services at Clarion University of Pennsylvania in June of 1990.

Mr. Thornton’s responsibilities at Clarion University also include being an adjunct faculty member for California University of Pennsylvania in their distance learning athletic training education curriculum.  He has also been an adjunct instructor at Duquesne University.   Mr. Thornton is a certified Performance Enhancement Specialist and Corrective Exercise Specialist by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  He presently serves as Education Liaison and Consultant to the NASM.  Mr. Thornton has presented numerous times at the state, district, and national level on topics that include corrective exercise, performance enhancement, skin infections and weight certification for the sport of wrestling.

Mr. Thornton has had long volunteer career.  He has served as both District II Secretary and District Director.  His NATA service includes serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the NATA as well as holding the position of NATA Vice President for 2 of his 6 years on the board.  While on the NATA Board of Directors he also;

• Chaired the NATA Strategic Implementation Team,
• Chair of the NATA National Legal Review Board,
• He was on the NATA Chief Executive Officer Contract review team,
• Jim was board liaison to the NATA Involve and Evolve Oversight Committee,
• He served as a member of the NATA Political Action Committee, the NATA Young Professionals Committee, the NATA Governmental Affairs Committee, the NATA Public Relations Committee, the NATA Education Multimedia Committee, the NATA Ethics Committee, and the BOC.   

While Thornton was a District II officer he also served on the EATA Executive Board.  Caring passionately about athletic training education, Jim was the driving force behind the establishment of the EATA Student Delegation.   He currently serves his state as a member of the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society Long-Range Planning and Finance Committee.   Mr. Thornton has long been active in the issues that surround the sport of wrestling.  He serves as the Athletic Training Liaison to the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee and serves as the chair of the Athletic Training Task Force charged with making recommendations for permanent rules changes in weight management in the sport.  He presently serves as the contact person for all NCAA wrestling institutions concerning questions specific to weight class certification procedure and rules.

Mr. Thornton is a recipient of the EATA Cramer Award, the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Association service award, the NATA College and University Committee Division II Athletic Trainer of the year award, and the Clarion University of Pennsylvania Most Distinguished Volunteer Award.

Paul A. Ullucci, Jr, C-DSc, DPT, ATC, SCS, CSCS, NATA, District 1 Director
Ullucci was elected Director of NATA District 1 in 2010, having previously served as District Treasurer, and has served as the President of the Eastern Athletic Trainers Association.

Ullucci received his DPT Degree from Rocky Mountain University in 2009.  He graduated from Northeastern University’s Physical Therapy program in 1991.  Upon graduation, he began working full time in an outpatient clinic in Rhode Island while working part time as an Athletic Trainer and Physical Therapist at Brown University. He became a Certified Athletic Trainer in 1993.