They come from different countries, including USA, Taiwan and China!

Say hello to our new sport science students!!!

Chris Bailey, M.Ed, CSCS

I am originally from Marietta, Georgia and I received my undergraduate degree in exercise science from Georgia College and State University (2006) in Milledgeville, Georgia.  After graduating I worked at a private sports performance training facility for a year before going back to GCSU for a master’s degree in kinesiology/human performance.  After completing my master’s degree (2009) I began working with the San Diego Padres as one of their minor league strength and conditioning coaches.  I spent my first season with the Padres short season single A affiliate the Eugene Emeralds in Oregon.  My second and final season with the Padres was spent in Texas with their AA affiliate the San Antonio Missions.  I am currently pursuing the sports physiology track of the PhD program at ETSU.  My research interests include: asymmetrical force production and its effects on sports performance,optimization of rate of force development, and the kinetics and kinematics of striking performance for combat sports.

Jacob Reed MS, CSCS

Native to Muscatine, Iowa, I received my bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of Northern Iowa in 2009.  During my enrolment at UNI I played rugby and started fostering my passion for research.  After completing my degree, I enrolled at the University of Memphis to pursue a Master’s degree in Health and Sport Science where my research focus was on concurrent training.Following Memphis, I moved to Johnson City where I am currently pursuing my PhD in Sport Performance.  As a PhD I am interested in not only optimizing sport performance in elite athletes but also developing a method which could allow us to qualitatively assess the effectiveness of our Sport Performance Enhancement Consortium.

James Hoffmann  MS,CSCS,CPT

I was born and raised in Chicago IL. Before starting the PhD program here at ETSU I received both my B.S. in Biochemistry and my M.S. in Applied Exercise Physiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. My favorite sport is Rugby, which I have been playing for several years.

I came to ETSU because I had grown tired of personal training and the more clinical aspects of exercise physiology. I really wanted to work with athletes in a hands on setting where I continue to learn about coaching and strength and conditioning. I really enjoy working with athletes of all ages and in the future I hope to teach sport science to students and work with Rugby players as the sport grows in popularity in the US.

My primary interests are high intensity interval training techniques for sport, specifically for sports involving repeated pushing/drving movements. Currently I am involved with Men’s Tennis, Men’s Golf, and High School Weightlifting and boys and girls Basketball

Keith Leiting MA, ATC

I grew up in Lemont, Illinois. I enlisted in the Marine Corps immediately after high school. After my service I enrolled at Western Illinois University in exercise science with an emphasis in athletic training.  I pursued my master’s degree at East Tennessee State University in sport and exercise science. Meanwhile, I was the athletic trainer for the ETSU women’s soccer team, gaining experience in sports medicine. I am currently working towards my Ph.D. in sport science. I work with the ETSU Army ROTC unit in pursuit of increasing soldier preparedness for combat operations.  I hope to continue with this line of research and assist the armed forces in their physical preparation for combat.

Ryan Alexander MS, CSCS

Raised in East Tennessee, returning home to pursue my PhD in Sport Physiology and Sport Performance.  I attended Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and my Master’s Degree in Movement Sciences with a specialization in Exercise Science.  While at Barry University I competed for four years in collegiate soccer at the NCAA Division II level.  I am currently working with the women’s soccer program at East Tennessee State University with colleague Chris MacDonald.  My interests for research include, testing and monitoring for sport specific variables that may attribute to the early detection of fatigue accumulation and/or overtraining.

Mark Chiang, M.P.E CSCS, ACSM-HFS

Hello- my name is Mark Chiang , I come from Taiwan, first year PhD student in sport performance concentration. I received my master’s degree from National Taiwan Sport University (exercise physiology major, minor in athletic training). My experiences in sport include working in the Taiwan national training center (sport science division) and coaching (as Strength and conditioning coach) of collegiate and national team.

The reason for studying abroad is because the unique opportunity to study under renowned sport scientist Dr. Stone and acquire practical training experiences. After years of searching, I know this is the best Sport Science PhD program in US. My research interests focus on Periodization training for team sports, especially maximized strength and power training and its transfer effects for agility performance. I’m so excited to work with great colleagues at ETSU.

Tim McInnis MS, CSCS, USA Weightlifting Senior Club Coach

I hail from the great state of Louisiana where exercise and health are staples of life…well I’m from Louisiana anyway.  I completed my undergraduate in 2004 with a degree in exercise science from Louisiana State University Shreveport.  I then went to Appalachian State University in Boone, NC for my masters in Exercise Science with a concentration in strength and conditioning (finished in 2006).  After personal training for a year I took a job as the Health and Physical Education Facilities Coordinator at LSU Shreveport.  During this time I was also a volunteer assistant coach for the USA Weightlifting High Performance and Development Center at LSU Shreveport.  From 2009-2011 I served as the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympics chair for weightlifting.  I currently coach the ETSU Stoneage weightlifting team.  After I finish my Phd, my goal is to coach weightlifting and possibly teach in a university setting.

Zhanxin sha  MS,

My  name is zhanxin sha. I am from China. It is my first year study at ETSU as PhD student. I got bachelor degree of exercise science in Liaoning Normal University. In 2007, I came to U.S pursing master degree through an exchange program between Liaoning Normal University and Emporia State University. Basketball and track& field are my favorite sports. To improve athletes performance and prevent them from injuries (biomechanical and physiological) are my interest.

This is a cross-post from Howard Gray who writes all kinds of coaching and sport science goodness over at http://pursuitofperformance.blogspot.com. Thanks Howard.

You will see that we all have a wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and research interests – something that truly adds to what we have going on here at the Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education (CESSCE). It truly is the first of its kind in the US.

Christian Carter

Christian Carter is from Oak Park, IL, just outside of Chicago.  He got his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Kinesiology-Exercise Science and his Master’s degree from Virginia Tech in Health Promotion-Sports Performance where he also served as a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach.  Christian currently competes in Olympic weightlifting at the 94kg weight class.  His research interest is on eccentric accentuated loading, specifically its use for squats.

Jeremy Gentles

Prior to starting the PhD program here at ETSU, I also received my undergrad and graduate degrees in exercise science from ETSU. My primary interests include overtraining (biochemical and other physiological markers/indicators), injuries, and technology in sport. Recently, I have also started to help with a web based athlete monitoring and system at www.sportably.com.

Howard Gray

My first interest in sport science came as a young athlete growing up in the south-west of England looking to improve my own athletic performance. This continued as I pursued a college scholarship and semi-professional football/soccer in my late teens. After moving to the US, late on in my undergrad I started my coaching career as an assistant soccer coach, a role that I continued when I first arrived at ETSU for my masters degree.

I made the transition from football / soccer coach specializing in fitness, to sport scientist specializing in the sport when I returned home to England to work as an intern S&C coach for Reading FC. Following my preseason internship, I was kept on and my roles were expanded before I moved into a full time position at Crystal Palace FC in London.

Coming back to ETSU is an exciting experience as the program allows for a unique combination of research and applied work. Satoshi Mizuguchi and I provide sport science support for the ETSU men’s soccer team, coached by Scott Calabrese. I also assist Meg Stone in coach education for the Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education.

My research focuses on the monitoring and periodization of football / soccer training.

Guy Hornsby

My exploration into sport science began like most; as an athlete.  I was quickly captivated by competitive sport, not only by the thrill of competition, but by the commitment and dedication required of the training process.  More to the point I was very intrigued by the weight room, specifically strength development.  I wanted to be stronger than everyone else.

I began my journey into sport science at ETSU 5 years ago.  I chose ETSU so I could throw for legendary strength/track and field coach and 2-time Olympian Meg Stone and take classes from renowned sport scientist Dr. Mike Stone.  When I first I arrived in Johnson City I thought I wanted to be a strength and conditioning coach, admittedly, I wasn’t sure what that really meant or involved.

After the completion of my undergraduate degree I decided to further my knowledge and practical experience in sport science by joining the masters program at ETSU. I continued my athletic career as a weightlifter under the tutelage of Dr. Stone (I firmly believe that being an athlete and training like one has been an integral part of my development). By this point I knew I wanted to be a strength coach and had a much clearer idea of what that entailed. The masters program introduced me to sport science research.  My thesis was a training study conducted on collegiate throwers.  The project lasted several mesocycles and involved periodic measurements of both physiological and performance variables.  I plan on doing more training studies in the future further exploring the concept of periodization. As an aspiring strength coach I think I gravitated towards periodization as my research emphasis due to its comprehensive nature investigating the training process.

Currently, I am in the first semester of the sport performance PhD program at ETSU.  My general responsibilities include, lab supervisor, research, assisting in the athlete monitoring program, and designing and implementing ETSU baseball’s strength and conditioning program.

My experience so far at ETSU has taught me what is required of an elite level strength and conditioning coach. Strength and conditioning is a multifaceted endeavour. So many considerations exist within this intricate and often perplexing process that a scientific approach is required.  I plan on using scientific principles to implement training programs, monitoring programs, and aid sport coaches in the training process.  Since understanding the underlying physiological mechanisms of sport is crucial for a superior training program, I also intend on being active in sport science research.

I am very excited for the next couple years of doctoral work at ETSU.

Christian Carter & Mike Israetel with Ambrose Serrano

Mike Israetel

I was born in Moscow, Russia in May of 1984. In June of 1991, may parents took my family out of the USSR to the United States to flee communism. In the United States, I finished high school with top honors, and attended the University of Michigan for my undergraduate major in Movement Science. During my studies at the University of Michigan, I began to get serious about powerlifting, and I co-founded the Michigan Powerlifting Club. Through the powerlifting club, I had the pleasure of training several nationally and globally ranked powerlifters. After Michigan, I attended Appalachian State University for my Master’s in Exercise Science. There I studied to great benefit under Jeff McBride and Travis Triplett. It was at Appalachian that I developed and interest in hypertrophy-specific training, and began to train several national-caliber bodybuilders and powerlifters. After a year of personal training in New York (an excellent experience), I began my studies in the Sport Physiology PhD program under Dr. Mike Stone. My current (actually continual) research interests include the relationship between DOMS and hypertrophy, and, more involvingly, fatigue management in hypertrophy-specific weight training programs.

ETSU CESSCE staff & graduate students, August 2010

Brian Johnston

Brian is currently the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine for the ETSU Department of Athletics. A former graduate of the NATA approved Athletic Training Curriculum at ETSU, Brian has been associated with East Tennessee State University for over 15 years.

After graduating from ETSU in 1998, Brian worked with Southeastern Sports Medicine in Asheville, NC and then at Greenwood High School where he was an Anatomy teacher and managed the school’s athletic training needs. Brian rejoined the ETSU Athletic Training Staff in 2001 as the Assistant Athletic Trainer where he oversaw the Buccaneer Football team for three years. In 2003, Brian became the interim head athletic trainer and interim Clinic Director for the Jerry Robertson BucSports Athletic Medicine Center and in January 2004 was named the Director of Athletic Medicine.  Brian earned the administrative title of Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine in 2006 and currently acts in that capacity today.

Brian oversees the entire Sport Medicine program and has sport responsibilities for baseball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s golf, and women’s golf.

Along with responsibilities in the Department of Athletics, Brian is the clinical director for the Jerry Robertson BucSports Athletic Medicine Center.  In this role, Brian assisted the physician in all aspects of patient care and manages the day to day operations of the clinic.

The Knoxville, TN native received his Masters in Sport Science Degree from the United States Sports Academy in 2002 and a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a concentration in Athletic Training in 1998. He is a certified instructor for CPR/AED for the Professional Rescuer and a member of the National Athletic Trainer’s Association, Southeastern Athletic Trainer’s Association, and Tennessee Athletic Trainer’s Society.

Brian currently resides in Johnson City and is married to the former Sherri Saltys (ETSU ’98) and has two children, Derek and Isaac.

Ashley Kavanaugh

Hello – I am a fellow doctoral student and colleague of Howard at East Tennessee State University.  My duties include conducting research in the Exercise and Sports Science Laboratory, writing/implementing the strength and conditioning program for women’s volleyball, and teaching various undergraduate courses.  I was attracted to the program at ETSU because of the opportunity to studying under Dr. Stone, as well as the unique ability to do sport science research and train collegiate athletes.  Also I was frustrated by the lack of evidence based training methodologies used by coaches in the United States, and I wanted to continue my education in a program that emphasized science and its application to strength and conditioning.

While at ETSU my research has been in the area of whole-body vibration, examining its effects on jump height, force, rate of force development, power output, sprint speed, and bone mineral density.   Future research interests include long-term training studies, potentiation, and whole-body vibration.

Chris MacDonald

Christopher MacDonald, MS, CSCS…I graduated in 2007 with a B.S. in Applied Exercise Exercise Science (minor in Strength and Conditioning) from Methodist University (Fayetteville, NC.).  At Methodist, I was a four year letterman and captain (2007) of Men’s Varsity Soccer Team at Methodist University (leading goal scorer in 2007) as well as being named a four time Academic All-Conference (USA South Conference).  In 2009, I graduated with a M.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Mississippi (Oxford, MS), where I was a graduate assistant, and my research experience included complex training, ergonomic and gait analysis of industry workers, and kinetic and kinematic analyses various athletic and non athletic populations.  During my time in the Master’s Program at Ole Miss, I earned the J. Robert Blackburn Graduate Achievement Award in Exercise Science (2009).  Following graduation, I remained at Ole Miss and completed one year of Ph.D. work at the University of Mississippi in the Health and Kinesiology program before transferring to East Tennessee State University to begin work as a graduate student and graduate assistant in the Sport Physiology Ph.D. program.

Satoshi Mizuguchi

Name: Satoshi Mizuguchi

Born and grew up in Hyogo, Japan

Wife and Son: Mayako Mizuguchi and Takeru Mizuguchi

BS in Exercise Science from Winona State University in MN – worked as a student intern for strength and conditioning at Winona State and Western Illinois University.

MS in Exercise Science – Strength and Conditioning concentration from Appalachian State University in NC – worked as a GA strength and conditioning coach and was responsible for programming and implementing a strength and conditioning program for men’s and women’s tennis, softball, and volleyball while assisting with the strength and conditioning aspect for football team.

Currently, PhD student at ETSU – programming and implementing training and providing performance monitoring service for men’s soccer team.

Satoshi Mizuguchi competing in the 2010 Stoneage Weightlifting meet

EFFECTIVE DATE: Fall 2010

PURPOSE (Goals and Objectives): This doctoral program is designed to produce leaders in sport science research and research-driven coach education. Specific objectives for the program are to:

• Produce transformational sport science research and coach education/research;
• Produce pioneering research applied to coaching;
• Provide a background of knowledge of sport physiology that translates into quality coaching;
• Advocate for using a scientific approach to address issues surrounding athletics performance;
• Emphasize that a coach’s primary responsibilities are for an athlete’s well-being and achievement—becoming the best that he or she can be;
• Reorganize perceptions to understand that research is a part of coaching; and
• Elevate the academic status of coaches in the educated community.

IMPACT: This proposed PhD program will be ground-breaking and distinctive in the US and will impact education and research for two professions: sport scientists and coaches. ETSU expects that this program will contribute to national interest and awareness of the need to academically educate sport scientists and coaches and to target athletic performance rather than participation. This single refocus is expected to lower the incident of sport injuries and increase levels of performance achievement for athletes, thereby supporting sport through research and education.

The doctoral program is integrated with the ETSU Center of Excellence for Sport Science and Coach Education (CESSCE). The students will have the opportunity to be involved in clinics for coaches, continuing education programs, and activities that permeate the sport community, from the elite athlete to the grade-school child who participates in school or recreational sports. Objectives of the CESSCE include improvement of athlete performance as well as how to better understand the role of sport and sport performance in the health and well being of the nation as a whole and the impact of disability, injury and disease on sport participation and performance. The specialized research possibilities could easily yield findings that would impact quality of life of athletes and the general public.

CURRICULUM: The proposed Ph.D. requires a minimum of 72 semester hours distributed as follows:

Concentrations(s) and Associated Electives: There are two concentrations for the proposed degree: Sport Physiology and Sport Performance.

• The Sport Physiology concentration has 15 required semester credit hours and a minimum of 9 credit hours of guided electives.
• The Sport Performance concentration has 15 required semester credit hours and a minimum of 9 credit hours of guided electives.

Sport physiology is concerned primarily with how underlying mechanisms can be manipulated by variations in training to produce specific performance enhancements. For example, testosterone (an anabolic hormone) and cortisol (a catabolic hormone) are known to impact physiological variables such as lean body mass and body composition, strength, explosiveness, and psychological variables such as arousal. A student may investigate the effects of manipulating training variables (e.g., volume of work and intensity of work) so that the T:C ratio is maximized at appropriate time, such as a conference or national championship.

Sport performance is concerned primarily with ways in which individuals and teams can enhance competitive performance that may include nutrition, technique analysis, sport psychology, strength and conditioning training, and long-term athlete monitoring. For example, a student in the Sport Performance concentration might investigate the acute and chronic effects of whole body vibration on the flexibility and competitive performance of elite gymnasts.

All Students are required to take these Core courses.

The following tables identify the required courses and potential guided electives for each concentration.

15 hours for Dissertation

The focus of a dissertation for the Ph.D. in Sport Physiology and Performance depends on the concentration: Sport Physiology or Sport Performance. Students in both concentrations use knowledge of physiology and research to better understand and enhance sport performance. However, students in the Sport Physiology concentration focus on translational research concerning how alterations in physiology impact sport performance, whereas the students in the Sport Performance concentration studies primarily how to maximally enhance performance using a research-based approach.

Admission Requirements

Applicants, including international students, seeking admission to the Ph.D. in Sport Physiology and Performance degree program must fulfill all the requirements for admission to the ETSU School of Graduate Studies and adhere to other school processes, procedures, and requirements as delineated in the catalog. Presented in the Table PS1 are the School of Graduate Studies admission requirements and the additional requirements for the Ph.D. in Sport Physiology and Performance program.

School of Graduate Studies Admission Requirements and Additional Requirements for the Ph.D. in Sport Physiology and Performance

Program Admission Requirements

Admission to the Ph.D. degree program in Sport Physiology and Performance is competitive and based on scholarship, letters of recommendation, and evidence of potential success. Students seeking admission to the program must meet the general admission requirements of the Graduate School. In addition, the following specific admissions criteria apply:

1. Vita or resume

2. Personal essay detailing career and educational goals and potential area of interest for the dissertation.

3. Official GRE scores taken within the past 5 years, except for those with a prior doctoral degree from an accredited institution within the United States. Preferred scores are above the 50% percentile for verbal and quantitative sections.

4. Four letters of recommendation from individuals who can address the applicant’s academic and professional achievements. At least two recommendations must be from former college instructors.

5. Master’s degree (thesis preferred) or bachelor’s degree (strong research component) in Biology, Exercise Science, or related discipline from an accredited university with an overall GPA of 3.4 for applicants with a master’s degree or 3.0 for applicants with a bachelor’s degree on a 4.0 scale. It is recommended that entering students have an undergraduate background in statistics, general chemistry, general biology, human anatomy and physiology. Students admitted with a B.S. or M.S. degree are expected to meet all doctoral requirements, including course prerequisites or equivalencies.* Thus, the program of study for a student entering with a B.S. degree will exceed the 72 credit hour minimum and extend the program of study.

6. A personal or phone interview with members of the admission committee. Factors to be considered in the interview include academic success, evidence of leadership skills, writing skills, computer skills, and oral communication skills.

*Course prerequisites or equivalencies needed for the Ph.D. in Sport Physiology and Performance are: PEXS 3610 Exercise Physiology I, PEXS 4620 Exercise Physiology II, PEXS 5655 Sports Nutrition and Ergogenic Aids, and PEXS 5670 Research Design and Analysis.

Once all pertinent application materials are complete, the School of Graduate Studies forwards the application package to the program. Applications are not evaluated until all materials have been received. The program admissions committee reviews the materials, interviews the student, and completes an overall evaluation of the applicant’s ability to complete advanced study. Recommendations regarding admissions to the program are made to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies who makes final decisions on admissions. The program can recommend conditional admission to promising applicants not meeting minimum requirements for GPA and prerequisites.

For students seeking a funded doctoral fellowship, completed applications should be submitted by February 15 for competitive review. The program decisions for financial support are usually made in March or April. Students not seeking funding need to apply by June 1 for admission for the fall semester. Applications can be made electronically via the Web at http://goldlink.etsu.edu.

Information concerning residency, retention and graduation requirements can be found through the Kinesiology, Leisure and Sport Science or ETSU websites.