Brooks Faculty Fellows
Faculty who conduct research, teach sports-related courses, or provide service to the sports industry are invited to formerly affiliate with the institute as Brooks Faculty Fellows. Along with the four Legacy Professors, these faculty constitute the institute’s Board of Faculty. Current fellows should remain actively engaged in the mission of the Institute.
JESSICA AVILES
Assistant Professor, Industrual Engineering
Avilés specializes in understanding how people move, why they move the way they move and how to help them move better. Her passions lie in improving mobility by applying innovative training interventions and assistive devices. Her research interests cover industrial athlete rehabilitation, fall prevention and human factors and ergonomics in healthcare. At Clemson, her work revolves are exoskeletal research. With a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering, Avilés has taught senior-level occupational biomechanics and also the design and analysis of work systems. Avilés is a Brooks grant awardee and principal investigator in the PHASE (Pursuing Health through Adaptation, Sports and Ergonomics) Lab at Clemson. Read more.
Greg Batt
Associate Professor, Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
Batt teaches and conducts research in the area of packaging dynamics and serves as the Packaging Science Program Director. He directs the Clemson Package Dynamics Laboratory and co-directs the Clemson Headgear Impact Performance (CHIP) Laboratory. Batt has a joint appointment in Bioengineering and has collaborated with Dr. John DesJardins on three Robert H. Brooks Sport Science Institute funded research projects. These project include the U.S. Patented “Method and apparatus for non-destructive measurement of faceguard structural stiffness” for football faceguards, a bull rider helmet test method development, and most recently the head impact mechanics of cadaveric specimens. Read more.
Brandon Boatwright
Assistant Professor, Communication
Boatwright is a two-time graduate of Clemson University and recently completed his doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in Communication and Information with an emphasis in Advertising and Public Relations. His research focus examines the intersection of sports, social media, and opinion leadership. Boatwright also serves as the Director of the Social Media Listening Center in the Department of Communication. He has published original research in Public Relations Review, The Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, Computers in Human Behavior, The Journal of Public Interest Communication, and the Southern Communication Journal. He is an active member of the National Communication Association and the Southern States Communication Association. Read more.
Julian Brinkley
Assistant Professor, Human-Centered Computing
Brinkley serves as an assistant professor of human-centered computing and is director of the Design and Research of In-Vehicle Experiences Lab (DRIVE Lab). His research focuses on the intersection of user experience, accessibility, and highly and fully automated vehicles, with funding from organizations like the National Science Foundation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the US Department of Transportation. Brinkley's work has contributed significantly to making autonomous vehicles more accessible, as evidenced by his DRIVE Lab team being selected as semifinalists for the DOT's Inclusive Design Challenge, a $5 million grand challenge aimed at developing accessible autonomous vehicles. Read more.
JOHNELL BROOKS
Professor, Automotive Engineering
Brooks works with an interdisciplinary team that uses driving simulators to study the impact of concussions on the driving capabilities of high school and college athletes. She also uses driving simulators and instrumented vehicles to develop rehabilitation tools for clinical settings. Read more.
DEBORAH CADORETTE
Principal Lecturer & Coordinator, Athletic Leadership
Athletic Leadership is an emerging new discipline in the area of sport science and educational athletics. Study and research are based on the National Standards for Sport Coaches (NASPE 2006). Cadorette’s current interest is supporting positive environments for student-athletes, and professional development of interscholastic athletic coaches throughout the U.S. Cadorette currently collaborates with the National Federation of High Schools to provide Clemson students an opportunity to become Certified Interscholastic Athletic Coaches. Read more.
CHRISTOPHER CHOUINARD
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
After briefly working as a project manager for a contract research lab in Massachusetts, Chouinard received Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Florida. There, he worked under world-renowned mass spectrometrist Rick Yost and was responsible for integrating drift tube-ion mobility spectrometry (DTIMS) into the Yost lab. Chris’ interests at UF involved IM-MS studies of clinical molecules (steroids, Vitamin D metabolites) and he received grant funding through the Partnership for Clean Competition to develop novel IM-MS methods for improved identification of anabolic androgenic steroids in athletes. Chouinard then engaged in a prestigious post-doctoral position at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA where he worked with Dick Smith, another world leader in mass spectrometry, designing and developing a Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulations (SLIM) platform that enabled the first integration of LC into the SLIM IM-MS pipeline for improved analysis in phosphoproteomics. Chouinard joined Clemson in 2022 and continues his work in ion mobility-mass spectrometry. Read more.
Chris Corr
Senior Lecturer, Athletic Leadership
Corr currently studies intercollegiate athletics specializing in organizational development. He has authored or co-authored over 25 referred publications and has been published in some of the top journals in his field, including the Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics and Sport Sociology Journal. During his time at Troy, Corr received multiple teaching awards at both the program and university levels and also advised a successful NCAA graduate student grant. Corr will be joining Clemson University in the fall of 2024. Read more.
GREGORY CRANMER
Associate Professor, Sports Communication
Cranmer’s research focuses on creating beneficial and stimulating experiences for high school and collegiate student-athletes through investigating effective coaching practices, assisting in student-athletes’ socialization into collegiate athletics, and promoting health and developmental outcomes. Read more.
AMANDA FINE
Principal Lecturer, Marketing
Fine teaches courses on sports marketing, and her students implement the annual Tiger Paw Classic golf tournament benefiting a nonprofit selected by the sales students. She previously worked in marketing for Clemson Tiger Sports Properties, the Atlanta Braves, and Atlanta Spirit, parent company of the Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks. Read more.
MICHAEL GODFREY
Senior Lecturer, Education and Organization Leadership Development
Godfrey’s research explores athletic experience and performance; student athlete development; and leadership development in intercollegiate athletics with a focus on the impact of ethics and diversity on team culture and performance. He is the graduate program coordinator of the Master of Science degree in Athletic Leadership. Read more.
REED GURCHIEK
Assistant Professor, Bioengineering
Gurchiek directs the Human Movement Biomechanics Lab which combines mobile and wearable technologies with musculoskeletal modeling and simulation for biomechanics and rehabilitation research. He develops algorithms for remote human movement analysis and uses them to monitor recovery continuously across multiple days and weeks. He combines these technologies with techniques in modeling and simulation to estimate hard-to-measure quantities like muscle force, simulate the effects of interventions, and to evaluate human health and performance. Read more.
ASHLYN HARDIE
Assistant Professor, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management
Hardie has an interdisciplinary background, including a B.S. in Sport Management, Master's in Business Administration (M.B.A.),and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology (Emphasis in Sport Management). After participating as a collegiate athlete, Hardie went on to coach collegiate men and women's soccer before pursuing a career in the international sport for development and peace sector (SDP). Her research interests are well aligned with her lifelong dedication and love for sport and physical activity, as well as her passion for creating more equitable and accessible sport spaces. Hardie's research focuses primarily on cross-cultural and cross-sectoral exchanges in SDP, building sustainable programs and partnerships, using sport for positive social change, and empowering women in and through sport. Read more.
VIRGINIA HARRISON
Assistant Professor, Communication
Harrison's research centers around the ways organizations can build better, more supportive relationships with key stakeholders. She is particularly interested in how stewardship can create ethical dialogue in different organizational settings (nonprofit, sports, corporations). Her work also examines the impact of corporate social responsibility communication and athlete activism on fan support for prosocial causes. Read more.
TYLER HARVEY
Senior Lecturer, Bioengineering
Harvey received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Clemson in 2018. Since then, he has taught undergraduate courses in sports engineering, bioengineering design theory, applied biomedical design, bioengineering ethics and entrepreneurship and more. His research interests involve cognitive impacts of virtual reality sports training, sports biomechanics, computational modeling of living systems and more. Harvey is passionate about increasing access to STEM for underserved and underrepresented groups. Read more.
Wonju Lee
Assistant Professor, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management
Before joining PRTM, Lee was an assistant professor of sport administration at Muskingum University. He earned his Ph.D. in sport management with a graduate minor in statistics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Lee's research interests focus on managing sport organizations and programs to maximize their social impact. His work has been published in several journals, including the Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Review, Leisure Studies, Leisure Sciences, Journal of Leisure Research, and Journal of Sport Behavior. Read more.
AMY POPE
Principal Lecturer, Physics and Astronomy
Pope combines her passion for physics and sports to create engaging learning experiences for students. She teaches Physics of Sports, a course that uses real-world athletic scenarios to illustrate core physics principles. Her contributions to The Conversation on the physics of breakdancing and ski jumping highlight the physical processes behind these Olympic sports, making complex concepts relatable to a broader audience. As a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Pope leverages the universal appeal of sports to make physics more accessible, relevant and engaging for all learners. Read more.
LEONA RANSDELL
4-H Equine Program Leader
Ransdell received her B.S. in Animal Science with an Equine Business concentration from Clemson in 2012. She has served as a 4-H Agent with both the Clemson Cooperative Extension and Virginia Cooperative Extension as the 4-H Equine Program Director. In Virginia, Leona led educational teams to multiple wins at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Championships and managed one of the largest youth-only horse shows on the East Coast. She also coached the Virginia Tech Western and Horse Judging teams and taught equine science and biomechanics courses. Additionally, she earned her AQHA Level 1 Judging Card. Returning to Clemson in 2024, Leona hopes to build on the past successes of the 4-H program in South Carolina with a special focus on the educational events and programs to help mitigate the lack of large animal veterinarians. She is excited to further the interests of the equine industry and bring together stakeholders to address and build a strong future for the equine industry in South Carolina. Read more.
RIKISHI REY
Assistant Professor, Communication
Rey’s research examines health-related issues within sports including injury reporting, concussion management, athlete mental-health and well-being, and athlete-coach relationships. Specifically, she uses mixed-methods to focus on message design as it pertains to strategic communication and campaigns. Rey has an extensive background with experience as a former D1 college student-athlete, professional photographer, social media director, and high-level youth soccer coach. Read more.
SARAH STOKOWSKI
Assistant Professor, Athletic Leadership
Stokowski currently serves as an associate professor of Athletic Leadership at Clemson University. She studies college athlete development specializing in personal development literacies (e.g., career maturity, athlete identity, athlete transition). She is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Athlete Development and Experience (JADE). Throughout her tenure, Stokowski has authored or co-authored more than 100 referred publications. Additionally, she has secured more than $350,000 in grants and gifts, including the 2018-2021 NCAA CHOICES grant. Recently, Sarah received the AERA Early-Career Award in Education and Sport. Before joining the Athletic Leadership program at Clemson, Stokowski spent six years as at the University of Arkansas, earning teaching awards at both the departmental and college levels. Read more.
Felipe Tobar
Assistant Professor, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management
Tobar, an international scholar from Brazil, holds the tenure-track position of Assistant Professor in the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management Department at Clemson. His research interests lie at the intersection of sport, tourism, heritage, events, and politics. Tobar’s early academic journey has appeared in international journals such as the International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, Soccer and Society, Journal of Sport & Tourism, and The International Journal of Sport and Society. He is also the founder of the @FootballStudies YouTube channel, in which academics, professionals, and industry experts debate the world of football. Read more.
JASMINE TOWNSEND
Associate Professor, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
Townsend is a Certified Recreational Therapy Specialist and Certified Adaptive Recreation and Sport Specialist with 10 years of practice in these fields. She has worked primarily with individuals with physical disabilities during this time, helping them to reach their full potential and quality of life through participation in sport and recreation. Her primary research area is focused on examining the outcomes of participation in recreation and sport for individuals with various disabilities, with her most recent work exploring attitudes towards individuals with disabilities, as well as understanding the transformative power of adaptive sport. Read more.
ERICA WALKER
Associate Professor, Graphic Communications
Walker has a diverse background in visual communications spanning feature film production, photography, web design & development, marketing, and visual machine learning. As a faculty member in the Department of Graphic Communications at Clemson University, Walker has taught courses in photography, video, web development, and entrepreneurship. Read more.
QILUN ZHU
Research Associate Professor, Department of Automotive Engineering
Zhu's research is centered on the optimal control and estimation of automotive powertrain components and systems. Gaining insights from industry challenges and through experimental demonstrations of innovative solutions, Zhu has cultivated a robust research portfolio in the control of advanced engines and thermal energy conversion devices. His developments in this area, including high-speed real-time optimization algorithms, chemical kinetics modeling, and the management of thermal and distributed parameter systems, have laid the groundwork for his current forays into powertrain electrification and mobility integration. Zhu’s research group also utilizes control as a mathematical tool to integrate cross-domain technologies, a critical component in advancing propulsion technologies for future mobility. Read more.
