Professor Cris Stickley has been awarded an Athletic Trainer Service Award by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). With the Department of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science (KRS) since 2008, Stickley also serves as the department’s co-chair. He is among 23 peer-nominated recipients nationwide who are being recognized for their commitment to leadership, volunteer service, advocacy, and professional activities.
A certified athletic trainer, Stickley’s professional activities extend beyond the local and state levels to include his work with the Far West Athletic Trainers Association (FWATA) which is comprised of California, Nevada, and Hawaiʻi. He was nominated, in large part, for the research coming out of the Biomechanics & Gait Laboratory that he directs.
“We are very active in presenting all of the research from the lab at our regional and national conventions,” Stickely said. “I get too much of the credit for what we are doing as a team. I see this award largely as a recognition of the work our lab is doing.”
The Biomechanics & Gait Laboratory looks at issues that are important to the field of athletic training. The lab’s current research agenda is characterized as “Knee Mechanics Across the Lifespan.” The team examines the biomechanics of those who have had their ACL repaired five to ten years ago to determine possible risks and causes for osteoarthritis development.
“Our team includes KRS Associate Professsor Bret Freemyer, who serves as the co-director of our lab, and several PhD and master’s students,” Stickley said. “As athletic trainers, we are always striving to do research that will be valuable to our profession and advance the ability of trainers to provide the best care to their patients. I’m thankful that the hard work our team has done in our lab has not gone unnoticed.”
The team is also part of an ongoing 10-year collaboration with Dr. Cass Nakasone at the Straub Bone and Joint Center, looking at patients who have advanced osteoarthritis and are undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Stickley will be presented with the Athletic Trainer Service Award at the NATA Convention in June in New Orleans.
