Posted by William Nunnelley on 2007-01-09

Chris A. Gillespie, director of athletic training education in the Samford University exercise science and sports medicine department, has been appointed to the Sickle Cell Trait in Athletes Task Force. This 32-member national task force, which will meet in Dallas in February, is made up of physicians, certified athletic trainers and representatives from major athletic organizations.

Gillespie was chosen as an at-large member representing the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA). He has been an advocate for the treatment of athletes suffering from this condition for more than 15 years. NATA presented Gillespie a Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer award at its 2006 annual meeting.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The Wall Street Journal ranks Samford 1st nationally for student engagement and U.S. News & World Report ranks Samford 66th in the nation for best undergraduate teaching and 104th nationally for best value. Samford enrolls 5,683 students from 47 states and 19 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference, and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.