Human Movement Online

Request Information  Contact a Representative  Apply Now

Program Overview : Admission Requirements : Curriculum : Fact Sheet : Course Descriptions : Research : Faculty : Student/Faculty Comments : Tuition and Financial Services : WebCT Demo Course : In the News : High-Altitude Research Initiative

Faculty

Matthew Rhea, PhD, HM Program Director, Assistant Professor
Jack Daniels, PhD, Associate Professor
Tracie Rogers, PhD, Assistant Professor
Derek Bunker, HM Faculty
Michael Barnes, Adjuct Faculty
Jeff Blair, MS, JD, Adjunct Faculty
Sue Falsone, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Mike Favre, MEd, Adjunct Faculty
Scott Gaines, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Mark Peterson, PhD, Adjunct Faculty
Meredith Hale-Griffin, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Tracy Hultgren, MS, Adjunct faculty
Danielle Lavigne, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Kregg Lunt, MPT, Adjunct Faculty
Drew Massey, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Pedro Marin, PhD, AT Still University, Adjunct Faculty
Ken Miller, M.S., Adjunct Faculty
Alan Russell, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Fred Tedeschi, MA, Adjunct Faculty
Tamara Valovich McLeod, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty
Ben Potenziano, M.Ed., Adjunct Faculty
Linda Miller, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Aaron Nelson, M.S., Adjunct Faculty
Joana R. Pabedinskas, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty
Andrew A. Weiler, M.Ed., Adjunct Faculty

Matthew Rhea, PhD, HM Program Director, Assistant Professor
Dr. Rhea earned a PhD at Arizona State University (2004) and has received international recognition for his research in enhancement of sport and occupational performance. He was invited to present at the International Olympic Committee’s World Congress on Sports Science in Athens, Greece just prior to the 2004 summer Olympics and at the International Conference on Strength Training in Odense, Denmark (2006). Dr. Rhea was awarded the Outstanding Young Investigator from the NSCA in 2008. He has published research in the leading journals in the field of exercise science and sports conditioning and works closely with our top organizations to further knowledge, understanding, and applications of exercise related benefits. His current research interests involve examining methods for enhancing performance and preventing sports- and occupational-related injuries. Dr. Rhea has an impressive professional background, working as a coach, strength and conditioning coach, and personal trainer for 10 years. He has worked with college strength and conditioning programs for the golf, football, basketball, and baseball teams and has consulted various elite sports organizations regarding advanced conditioning.

Jack Daniels, PhD, Associate Professor, Director ATSU High-Altitude Research Initiative
Dr. Daniels brings with him a very unique background in both sport and exercise science. Daniels is a winner of silver and bronze Olympic medals in the modern pentathlon (Melbourne, 1956; Rome, 1960). He has coached 30 NCAA national individual champions, 8 NCAA national team champions, 130 All-American collegiate athletes, and numerous elite male and female marathon runners including an Olympic silver medalists. In NCAA competition, Daniels was named “Women’s Cross-Country Coach of the Century” and is a two-time recipient of the National Coach of the Year. In the mid-1990’s he was labeled the “World’s Best Running Coach” by Runner’s World. He is the author of Daniel's Running Formula published by Human Kinetics, and more than 50 articles and research studies involving elite athletes.

Tracie Rogers, PhD, Assistant Professor
Dr. Rogers earned a PhD from Arizona State University in Exercise and Sport Psychology. She is an accomplished researcher in exercise psychology and has worked in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, club owner, and speaker.

Derek Bunker, HM Faculty
Mr. Bunker completed a master’s degree in Human Movement at A.T. Still University before joining the faculty. A former college baseball player, he continues to examine injury risks and prevention strategies for baseball players. He presented findings regarding shoulder injuries at the 2008 NSCA sport-specific conference and at the national conference. He also has interests in sports performance enhancement and has consulted athletes and performance coaches in golf, baseball, and basketball.

Michael Barnes, Adjunct Faculty
Michael Barnes brings 20 years of experience to the ownership and management of Infinity Personal Training and Fitness. His previous experience includes working in Division I athletics, the NFL and professional fitness education. Michael has authored papers and books on the theory and practice of sport specific training including Sport Speed and Agility, and Training For The 40-Yard Dash. He holds the most respected professional certifications in the industry, as well as a master’s degree in exercise science. He has presented to coaches, athletes and fitness enthusiasts of such organizations as USA Triathlon, USA Rugby, the World Class Athlete Program of the US Army, the NCAA, US Ski and Snowboard Association, USA Judo, the US Association of Deaf and Blind Athletes and many more. He has traveled the world visiting such countries as Japan, Australia, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Greece and Denmark educating, training, and interacting with leaders in the fitness industry.

Jeff Blair, MS, JD, Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Blair currently serves as Functional Training Expert for a University of North Carolina Sports Medicine/National Academy of Sports Medicine research analysis project. He works in Los Angeles as an athletic performance specialist. His undergraduate degree is from Centre College of Kentucky. His academic interests include strength and power production, football and exercise regulatory and legal issues.

Sue Falsone, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Mrs. Falsone is currently the Director of Performance Physical Therapy at Athletes’ Performance- Tempe. Sue received her Physical Therapy degree from Daeman College in her hometown of Buffalo, New York. She continued her education by earning a Masters Degree in Human Movement Science with a concentration in Sports Medicine from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at Chapel Hill, Sue provided injury prevention and rehabilitation for UNC football, women’s basketball, and women's rowing. Her experience with treating and working with athletes expands to the classroom atmosphere. She has lectured on topics such as anatomy, biomechanics, pillar strength and performance therapy for elite athletes. She has presented at both state and national level conferences in areas focusing on Functional Performance Testing for the Upper Extremity, Pillar Strength, and Integration of Physical Therapy and Performance Training. Her research regarding Functional Performance Testing has been published in the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy. She is a certified Athletic Trainer and certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She is certified in NeuroCoreKinetics Fundementals and Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization (ASTYM). She is also a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy.

Mike Favre, MEd, Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Favre has been with the US Olympic Committee as strength & conditioning coach/physiologist for 5yrs. His chief responsibilities are with wrestling, taekwondo and fencing. All areas of long and short term planning/periodization, testing, education, and physical preparation fall under his guidance. Mike has also presented and published at the national and international level. His 13 years of experience includes collegiate, professional and elite international coaching positions.

Scott Gaines, MS, Adjuct Faculty
Mr. Gaines has over 15 years experience in the fitness industry. He is the Senior Vice President of the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA) and President of 3DBiomech. He has been in the fitness industry since 1994 as a personal trainer, fitness manager and martial arts instructor. He has worked for several companies prior to NESTA, including 24 Hour Fitness. His education includes a Masters Degree in Human Movement with an emphasis in Corrective Exercise from A.T. Still University and a Bachelors Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. He is also an experienced martial arts instructor with a 3rd degree black belt in the traditional Korean art of Tang Soo Do.

Mark Peterson, PhD , Adjunct Faculty
Dr. Mark Peterson is a Ph.D. graduate of Arizona State University, in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness. He is currently an NIH-funded Research Fellow at the University of Michigan, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, as well as an adjunct instructor in Human Movement, at A.T. Still University. His research endeavors include examining performance enhancement strategies for various populations, as well as advanced exercise prescription for hierarchical muscular adaptation. He has been able to present his work at many national and international conferences, and has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles. Additionally, he has taught health promotion, applied exercise science, kinesiology, and sport performance enhancement at the undergraduate and graduate levels, for the last five years. As a practitioner, Dr. Peterson has worked in personal training and strength and conditioning for the last 11 years, and has been involved with hundreds of athletes at the high school, collegiate and professional level. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, as well as certified Sports Performance Coach through the United States Weightlifting Association (USAW).

Meredith Hale-Griffin, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Mrs. Hale-Griffin completed her Masters of Science degree at Arizona State University in Exercise and Wellness in 2007 after completing a Bachelor's degree at ASU in biochemistry. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA and has worked extensively in sports nutrition and conditioning.

Tracy Hultgren, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Hultgren earned his Bachelor’s degree in acting from the Goodman School of Drama, DePaul University and Master of Science in Human Movement from A.T. Still University. He holds an International Diploma and Teaching Certificate in Speed, Agility and Quickness/Exercise Studies from SAQ International and was the first SAQ Advanced Trainer to be licensed and certified in the United States. In addition, he holds certifications through U.S. Soccer, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and the American Youth Soccer Organization. He is the owner of Advanced Fitness Training, a youth-centric fitness and sports training company that focuses primarily on helping children and youth athletes develop fundamental movement skills that can be integrated into sports and fitness activities.

Danielle Lavigne, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Ms. Lavigne currently obtains a masters degree in Human Movement from ATSU. She has earned a CSCS certification through the NSCA and she works in the community college setting as a fitness instructor and strength & conditioning coach. She is also involved with current research in the Human Movement department at ATSU.

Kregg Lunt, MPT, Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Lunt is currently a physical therapist at Southern Utah Physical Therapy in Cedar City, Utah where he has been for almost 6 years. He graduated from the Arizona School of Health Sciences physical therapy program in 1998 and earned a B.S. degree in Biology from Southern Utah University. He directs Elite Sports Conditioning, a sport performance enhancement and injury prevention/rehabilitation program, where he is conducting research with high school athletes.

Drew Massey, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Massey received his Bachelors degree from Bethel College in Kinesiology and his Masters from California University in Pennsylvania in Exercise Science, with a specialty in Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention. He is currently a District Wellness Director for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, as well a Faculty for the YMCA of the USA. He also serves as a Master Trainer for FreeMotion Fitness. He holds certifications from the NSCA as a CPT, NASM as a Performance Enhancement Specialist, and USA Weightlifting as a Sport Performance Coach.

Pedro Marin, PhD, Adjunct Faculty
Pedro is currently completing a PhD at the European University of Madrid in Exercise Science. He is completing research at AT Still University in the area of sports performance enhancement, injury prevention, and overall fitness development. In Spain, Pedro works in physical therapy and rehabilitiation as well as consulting major occupational and fitness companies.

Ken Miller, M.S., Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Miller is currently as assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Califormia Berkeley. He works with football, gymnastics, golf, and softball. Ken has worked closely with the NASM in preparing and developing curriculum for the Performance Enhancement Specialist. He holds certifications with the NASM, NSCA, and USA weightlifting.

Alan Russell, MS, ATC, PES, CES, Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Russell is an athletic trainer specializing in professional baseball, Alan Russell heads NASM’s Health Science Institute – which provides scientifically valid and evidence-based solutions in health and fitness. His former work as a certified athletic trainer with the world champion Anaheim Angels baseball club has produced dramatic results in off-season training. He has also reconditioned hundreds of professional baseball and football players as well as elite track and field, college and high-school athletes. He received his Bachelor of Science from Boise State University (1992) and his Master of Science from California University of Pennsylvania (2004). He is currently NASM’s representative to the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (CoAES), and an active participant in American Specialty Health’s Provider Quality & Credentialing Committee.

Fred Tedeschi, MA, Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Tedeschi is the Head Athletic Trainer of Chicago Bulls. This is a position that he has held for the last 11 years. He has also been an athletic trainer at the University of California, Berkeley, Vanderbilt University and the San Francisco Forty Niners. He is a certified athletic trainer and maintains his PES and CES credentials with the NASM. He received his BA and MA from the University of the Pacific.

Tamara Valovich McLeod, Ph.D., ATC, CSCS, Adjunct Faculty
Dr. McLeod, an assistant professor in the Athletic Training Program, is a NATABOC certified athletic trainer and NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist. She received her bachelor's degree in sports medicine from Mercyhurst College and her Master of Science in kinesiology from the University of Colorado.  She completed her doctor of philosophy degree in education with an emphasis in sports medicine from the University of Virginia. She is the director of the ASHS Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory, and her research has focused on the pediatric athlete with respect to mild head injury assessments and gender differences in ACL injury rates. She served as a certified athletic trainer at the high school, collegiate and professional levels and as an instructor in the kinesiology department at the University of Virginia prior to joining the faculty at ATSU. Currently, Dr. McLeod serves as the District 7 representative to the Women in Athletic Training Committee and the NATA Research and Education Foundation and is the association publisher for the Arizona Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Ben Potenziano, M.Ed., San Francisco Giants, Adjunct Faculty
Mr. Potenziano is presently in his 5th season with the Giants, 4th at the Major League Level.  He returns for the 2007 season as the Assistant Athletic Trainer/Strength and Conditioning Coordinator.  His duties with the Giants have also been the Rehab Coordinator for the Minor Leagues during the 2003 season.  His minor league experience has previously been the head trainer at short-season Bellingham, WA (1995), single-A San Jose, CA (1996), double-A Shreveport, LA (1997-1998) and the club’s affiliate in the Arizona Rookie League (2003).  His undergraduate degree is from the University Maine at Farmington with a BS in Community Health Education/Sports Medicine.  He obtained a graduate degree in Exercise Science from the University of Maine at Orono where he worked with men’s football and basketball.

Linda Miller, MS, Adjunct Faculty
Mrs. Miller is a 2008 graduate of ATSU’s Human Movement program. A retired U. S. Marine Corps Major, she also holds a Masters of Arts degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout high school and college she competed at the international level in Modern Pentathlon. She is a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) with NASM and ACE and an Alpine Ski Instructor. She has recently re-located to Northern VA from Vicenza, Italy where she was employed as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor focusing on weight loss and sports conditioning.

Aaron Nelson, M.S., ATC, PES, CES
Mr. Nelson is the head athletic trainer for the Phoenix Suns. Included in his role is the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of players and assisting in the travel operation of the team. Under his direction new equipment has been added to assist the medical operation, including new modalities for treatment of injuries and a Swim-Ex hydrotherapy pool. He has served as the Suns’ assistant athletic trainer for seven-plus seasons since 1993, and was involved with all aspects of the team’s medical and travel needs.  He is certified as an athletic trainer and a strength and conditioning specialist. He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), Arizona Athletic Trainers Association (AZATA), National Basketball Trainers Association (NBTA), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Additional Instructors
Additional adjunct faculty and instructors are chosen based on program needs. Guest instructors are invited to participate in courses by posting video presentations in courses where their research and/or professional experience is related. By doing this, students are able to learn from true experts in various areas of exercise science and professional practice. If you are interested in being considered for such a position or role, please submit a current resume or CV to: Dr. Matt Rhea, HM Program Director, AT Still-Mesa, 5850 E. Still Circle, Mesa, AZ, 85206.

Joana R. Pabedinskas, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty
Dr. Joana R. Pabedinskas earned both her Bachelor’s and Master of Science degrees in Exercise Science from Arizona State University (ASU). She completed her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Exercise and Wellness coupled with a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology at ASU (2003). Dr. Pabedinskas holds two NCCA accredited certifications, one by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the other by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a Certified Personal Trainer. She also serves as a subject matter expert for ACE Certification Programs. She is currently actively involved in personal training at a local community college working closely with older adults. Dr. Pabedinskas has also spent an extensive amount of time at a local intergenerational center assessing the functional fitness of and instructing resistance. Dr. Pabedinskas’ research interests include fitness assessment and health related benefits of resistance training, primarily with the older adult population. She has presented her research at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) regional conference and has published in leading journals in the field of strength and conditioning. She is also a facilitator for the Active Living Every Day (ALED) program developed through a partnership between The Cooper Institute and Human Kinetics.

Andrew A. Weiler, M.Ed., Adjunct Faculty
Andrew Weiler has over 20 years of diverse experience working in exercise science. One of his passions and area of focus is on exercise and cardiovascular diseases and exercise and aging. Past positions include the Director of Cardiovascular Conditioning, a busy phase II/III cardiac rehabilitation program, Special Projects Coordinator for the Arizona Department of Health’s Healthy Aging Program, Chair of the Governor’s Council on Aging’s Falls revention Sub-committee, and the Director of a DEEP (Diabetes Education & Exercise Program). Andy holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Physical Education (Exercise Science) from Arizona State University and a Master’s in Education in Educational Leadership/Adult Education from Northern Arizona University. He has taught exercise and health-related courses for many colleges in Arizona and is currently teaching at Chandler-Gilbert, and Scottsdale Community Colleges in addition to AT Still University. He speaks extensively on exercise and health to professional and community groups and has developed professional workshops, conferences, curriculum and courses. Andy administered the American College of Sports Medicine’s Exercise Specialist and Health/Fitness Instructor Certifications in Arizona and holds both certifications currently. Andy is currently the Director of Quality Improvement Initiatives, for the American Heart and American Stroke Association for Arizona.