Where have you lived or traveled?

I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where much of my time was spent playing, watching and thinking about sports. That passion, combined with my love of anatomy and physiology, made athletic training a natural career choice. My journey has taken me from Des Moines to Springfield, Massachusetts, for graduate school, then on to southern Georgia and central Alabama, where I gained early professional experience. My first faculty position brought me to Thibodaux, Louisiana, where I spent nine years immersed in Cajun food and culture before moving to Tennessee, near Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. There, I fell in love with both the mountains and my wife. When the opportunity arose to build the Master of Athletic Training program at UIS, we moved to Illinois, where I’ve continued my career for the past nine years.

What type of research do you do?

My line of research examines the prevalence and impact of workplace bullying. I began by focusing specifically on the athletic training profession but eventually expanded to other health care careers, such as nursing and medicine. Recently, I’ve become more focused on the surge of workplace bullying in higher education and how technology is contributing to workplace cyberbullying.

I want to use my research to help establish protections from bullies in the workplace by developing policies and setting equal conduct expectations—and penalties, when needed—for all employees, including faculty.

What’s your favorite season of the year and why?

My favorite season by far is football season. As an athletic trainer, I love being on the sideline of a football, hockey or lacrosse game, taking care of injuries. But as a fan, football is my favorite. I enjoy watching the New Orleans Saints (Who Dat!), the Tennessee Volunteers and numerous other teams compete.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Outside of work, I love to build things with my hands. Whether it’s building a deck on my house, renovating a bathroom or refinishing a piece of furniture, the peace I get from getting lost in a project helps to recharge my batteries and calm my brain.

What’s one thing on your bucket list?

There are two places I want to visit on my bucket list and both are because of my love for the mountains – Glacier National Park and Switzerland. The beauty and majestic views will be life changing.