Year: 2024

As Clemson wraps up another successful semester, we are excited to highlight the experiences and insights of our two interns this summer. These students have spent the past few months gaining valuable skills and contributing to the Institute, and now they are sharing their personal journeys and offering advice for those who will follow in their footsteps.

Taylor Erdman

Taylor was the Marketing and Communications intern for the Institute this summer. She created and posted content for RHBSSI’s social media channels and wrote for the Sports Insight blog. She was also responsible for creating a content calendar from scratch and continuously updating it throughout the summer.

“One of my favorite things about this position is how versatile it is – every day looks different,” Erdman said. “One day I could be creating a graphic about joining our email database and the next I could be writing a blog post about one of our faculty fellows.”

“Being an intern for the Institute has been one of the most rewarding experiences. My advice would to be to make the most of the time you have there and to learn as much as you can: you don’t have to know everything, you just have to be willing to learn. I’d also advise future interns to use it as an opportunity to network with the faculty fellows, as they are doing incredible research and have a lot of great connections.”

Taylor will be continuing with the Institute in the fall as our Communications Lead. She is very excited to further develop her skills and contribute to impactful projects.

Payton Ober

Payton served as the Graphic Design intern for the Institute this Summer. Throughout her time, she was responsible for creating logos, posters, and graphics in preparation for the Institute’s first ever Research & Creative Endeavors Symposium (RECESS).

“This position has felt so beneficial to me this summer, having the opportunity to work with the Sports Science Institute while getting the chance to put my creative skills to work has been so fulfilling.” Ober said. “I’ve always had a soft spot for design so getting to work with people like John, Kayla, and Taylor, who are all so creative and ready to get involved has just been a really great experience.”

“While being a student can definitely be overwhelming, I completely recommend taking advantage of opportunities like this, especially if they have to do with the RHBSSI. Getting involved on campus through jobs like this is so useful and rewarding.”

This fall, Payton will be working as a Graphic Communications Teaching assistant for 3 different labs while participating in a Flexographic Printing competition/Creative Inquiry course called “The Phoenix Challenge” as the Research Lead.”

The Institute is actively seeking candidates for four part-time intern positions this fall. Applications close August 1 so be sure to apply soon. For information on the positions, check out ClemsonJobLink.

As the Summer Olympics grow closer, organizers are putting a focus on mental health and adding new accommodations for athletes to rest more than just their bodies. Skye Arthur-Banning, Ph.D., professor of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Clemson, RHBSSI faculty fellow and co-founder of the U.S. Center for Mental Health & Sport, advocates for athletes’ mental well-being and emphasizes that it needs to become a higher priority while they are still competing in the Olympic games.

“We have seen athletes, either upon retirement or after the event, coming out and talking about their challenges,” offered Arthur-Banning when talking about how the end of the games is often the toughest on the athletes’ mental health. “We do have a lot of research that supports the post-Olympic blues, or post-Olympic depression, and for many athletes it is retirement.”

At the Paris Olympic Games starting July 26, there will be several mental health resources for the athletes, including access to quiet spaces next to workout areas where they can decompress. They will also have full-time mental health staff and a 24/7 help line available. In addition, Arthur-Banning recommends athletes improve their mental health by building a community of support with family members and teammates.

More About Skye Arthur-Banning, Ph.D.

In addition to being co-founder of the U.S. Center for Mental Health & Sport, Arthur-Banning is also the Director of Research and Development for the organization. The center is focused on making sport environments a place where all involved can experience support for their mental health. They provide resources, training and support to help make the sport environment one that is inclusive and provides a positive experience. Arthur-Banning has co-authored or edited five books, published 50+ peer-reviewed manuscripts, delivered 200+ international, national and state-level presentations, and has secured over $1.8 million in research dollars as a principal investigator.

This fall, the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute (RHBSSI) will host Clemson University’s first Sports Science Research & Creative Endeavors Symposium (RECESS). Faculty, staff, students and other Clemson stakeholders interested in the sports sciences are welcome at the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to network, peruse posters, enjoy refreshments and more.

“We are thrilled to welcome you to our inaugural Research & Creative Endeavors Symposium, and hope that all that are engaged in the Sports Sciences, whether that be in Business, Athletics or Engineering can come, share and enjoy,” offered John DesJardins, interim director of RHBSSI. “As the acronym RECESS suggests, we hope to make it fun and engaging.”

The sports science symposium will take place at the Madren Center, Ballroom B on October 24 from 5-8 p.m. EST. Stay tuned for a full agenda of the event.

If you are interested in attending, you can RSVP here. If you are interested in presenting your work at RECESS, email John DesJardins at jdesjar@clemson.edu or fill out the participation form here.

Clemson Olympic Sports Science is seeking two to four candidates to fill internship positions for the Fall 2024 (August through December) semester. Successful candidates will gain knowledge and experience within a Division 1 Collegiate setting by assisting the Director of Sports Science in providing sports science support across Clemson Olympic sports.

Interns will engage in semester-long sports science curriculum, gain exposure to a wide variety of sports science technology, and participate in networking opportunities with sports science professionals. The internship may fulfill course credit if necessary. Click here for more information on qualifications and responsibilities.

To apply, submit a cover letter, resume and list of references in a single PDF to Jason Avedesian at javedes@clemson.edu. Please title the subject line of the email, “SPORTS SCIENCE INTERNSHIP – FALL 2024.”

To learn more about Clemson Olympic Sports, visit clemsontigers.com/olympic-sports-strength-conditioning. 

Please note that these internship positions are voluntary; opportunities may be available for future graduate-level, stipend positions.

By Taylor Erdman

Clemson Formula SAE (CUFSAE) is a student-led organization at Clemson that is focused on designing, manufacturing and competing with a formula-style race car. Each year, they design and build a new vehicle from the ground up that meets competition rules while also pursuing innovation. May 8-11, CUFSAE competed in the Formula SAE Michigan competition with their newest race car, the Tiger 24.

Michigan FSAE Competition

The Formula SAE Michigan competition was a chance for CUFSAE to showcase Tiger 24’s capabilities and their astounding efforts. 120 cars competed, making this one of the larger competitions CUFSAE has participated in. Of those 120 cars, the Tiger 24 displayed great competitive attributes finishing 20th in design and 60th overall.

In the midst of the competition, the Tiger 24 required an unexpected engine swap leading to some unforeseen challenges the following day. However, this situation led to new opportunities for learning and improvement, allowing the team to focus on future successes and ultimately strengthen their resilience and determination.

In the Pipeline for CUFSAE

This competition will not be the last chance for the team to display the Tiger 24’s capabilities. They will have the opportunity to further test these abilities in upcoming test days as well as competitions occurring later this year.

Upcoming Competitions:

• Pittsburgh Shootout (September)
• Michelin LPG Shootout (October)
• Barnesville Shootout (November)

There have also been changes to the team, as they have recently elected new team and division leads.

Tier 1 Leaders:

• Team Lead – Rajan Chitrao
• Chief Engineer – Ryan Bishop
• Production Lead – Alec Huber
• Finance and Logistics Officer – William Wei

Additionally, Rowen Smith is the new Sponsorship Coordinator for CUFSAE. With these changes to the team, Smith says that they will aspire to focus on reliability, better teamwork and earlier production for next year’s car, the Tiger 25, which will undergo design this summer.

A part of the Tiger 24’s success has been credited to the support of CUFSAE’s sponsors. The team has expressed their unwavering gratitude towards their sponsors, including the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute (RHBSSI), saying that the sponsors’ continuous assistance and investment gives the team added strength to keep pushing creativity and build the most competitive car they can. We at RHBSSI commend the CUFSAE team on all their successes to-date and wish them best of luck in their upcoming competitions this season.

Be sure to follow CUFSAE on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay current on all of the innovative things they are doing.

By Taylor Erdman

As we dive head first into summer, the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute is excited to welcome aboard its two newest student interns. Meet Taylor Erdman and Payton Ober, each bringing their own unique talents and fresh perspectives to the Institute.

Taylor Erdman

Taylor Erdman, a senior sports communication major from Eastchester, NY, is the Institute’s marketing and communications intern for the summer. In her role, she will assist RHBSSI staff in procuring, curating, and disseminating Clemson sports science content. She will also develop content for the Institute’s social media accounts as well as the Sports Insight blog.

“I am thrilled about this new and exciting opportunity to work for the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute as their marketing and communications intern,” Erdman said. “This is a chance for me to combine my previous experiences and creative ambitions in a way that I hope will help the Institute thrive. I also look forward to educating not just others, but myself, on the sports science at Clemson provided by our amazing faculty fellows and legacy professors.”

Taylor previously served as a marketing and communications intern for Clemson Computing and IT where she oversaw their social media platforms and created engaging content for the Clemson community. She hopes that her experience in this role will bring more followers and engagement to the Institute’s social media channels.

Payton Ober

Payton Ober, a senior graphic communications student from Fort Mill, SC, is the graphic design intern for the summer. Over the course of the internship, she will be tasked with creating logos, graphics, and polished compositions that assist RHBSSI staff in better reaching their audience. Further, she will create a plethora of designs, merchandise, and signage that advertises the Institute’s upcoming events.

“Getting the chance to assist the RHBSSI team in their User Interface, design assets, and printing capabilities is such a great opportunity,” Ober said. “I am so thankful for the chance to utilize my knowledge of design and printing processes in order to build upon their brand and support the Sports Science program. On top of that, I’m also just thrilled to gain a deeper understanding for the inner workings of the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute.”

Payton has an abundance of experience in graphic design; she has been named lead designer for several Creative Inquiry courses at Clemson and has also interned for companies such as Ricoh USA and Olberding Brand Family. She plans to draw on these experiences in order to help the Institute reach more students, as well as prepare for upcoming events within the department.

Two senior Clemson students joined the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science team for the Spring 2024 semester and made significant contributions to the Institute’s mission while gaining valuable experience they will take with them in their chosen career paths.

Lauren Crumley, Events Intern

Graduating May 2024, Crumley served as the Institute’s events intern. In this role, she helped plan all of the Institute’s events for the spring semester, including the annual Robert H. Brooks Lecture in Sports Sciences with United Row, two former Clemson rowers who spoke on Clemson University campus in March.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to work with the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute this semester!” Crumley said. “Being able to learn more about event planning and operations has been valuable, and I know I’ll be able to take what I’ve learned here into future roles.

“In addition to our main lecture event, I’ve enjoyed getting to work on other special projects and growing skills in areas such as writing and research. As I get ready to graduate from Clemson, I’m excited to see the Institute continue to grow!”

Crumley was a member of Clemson’s rowing team during her three years at Clemson and has accepted a postgraduate internship in championships operations at the NCAA. 

Justin Robertson, Marketing Intern

Also graduating May 2024, Robertson served as the Institute’s marketing intern for the spring semester. He helped create and post graphics for social media and established the Institute’s Instagram page. He also helped develop and distribute promotional items for the Institute’s annual lecture in sports sciences.

“Working for the Institute this semester has taught me so much about marketing, social media and helping grow an organization,” Robertson said. “From creating social media graphics to writing press releases to having a story published on Clemson News, the Institute opened many doors to me that would’ve otherwise been closed.

“Not only was I able to gain extensive experience in these fields, but I also had a great time working with Lauren and the Institute’s staff. Those relationships will be ones I carry with me throughout the rest of my life.”

Robertson served on Clemson University’s student newspaper, The Tiger, all four years as a student. He plans to enter the sports media field after graduation. 

The Institute has hired two interns for the summer and is looking to fill five part-time internship positions for the fall 2024 semester. For more information and to apply, click here. 

The Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute is proud to have as part of its cohort of faculty members one College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences representative from the Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences.

Greg Batt, Ph.D.

Having earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Clemson University, Batt is an associate professor in the Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences.

Batt began his work at Clemson in 2001 and has since been the Director of the Sonoco Package Testing Laboratory and Co-Director of the Clemson Headgear Impact Performance (CHIP) Lab at Clemson. Batt’s primary research interests are in the areas of experimental test development and dynamic modeling.

Batt and RHBSSI Interim Director, John DesJardins, recently won a patent at the Clemson University Research Foundation’s (CURF’s) Innovation Awards ceremony on April 17 for their mask/face shield work that is sponsored by RHBSSI. In 2023, the pair conducted a study comparing the head impact mechanics between cadaveric specimens and a synthetic hybrid III model.

Batt has been an engaged fellow for many years and is the co-director of the Clemson Headgear Impact Performance (CHIP) Lab with DesJardins. In the 2021-22 academic year, Batt received funding from RHBSSI for his work with the efficacy of bull-riders’ helmets to prevent face trauma. Preceding that, Batt received funding from RHBSSI for quantifying the impact performance of football helmet facemasks in the 2017-18 academic year.

His CHIP Lab student, Bianca Henline, was featured in RHBSSI’s 2023 Annual Report. 

Click here to learn more about Batt.

Rikishi Smith-Rey, faculty fellow of the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute and assistant professor in Clemson University’s Department of Communication, recently founded Sport PhD, a service that seeks to make academic research centered around sports more accessible for athletes.

Smith-Rey is a former Division I athlete and youth soccer coach with extensive research experience in the sports communication and health communication fields. During her coaching years, she was able to apply her academic research to her youth athletes in a very tangible way.

“To me, translational research is so important,” Smith-Rey said. “If our research is just sitting in journals, it’s not helping those that we mean it for. I get a lot of worth out of seeing my research help.”

Smith-Rey was inspired by a former athlete she coached to form Sport PhD, saying, “I still have not seen something that breaks down the knowledge that’s out there for athletes.”

Despite the extensive research on sports, Smith-Rey feels that this research is not accessible enough to athletes, especially those at the youth level. Areas of sport such as recruiting, sleep, nutrition, psychology and mental health are all topics that Smith-Rey seeks to promote to athletes in an accessible way.

Smith-Rey’s founding of Sport PhD was inspired in part by conversations with Brandon Boatwright, Ph.D., another assistant professor in the communication department at Clemson. Clemson women’s soccer student-athlete Ally Lynch has also worked as an intern with Rey this semester, and the pair have done extensive work on starting Sport PhD from the ground up.

Smith-Rey is excited to continue the work of Sport PhD as she works to widen the reach of the company.  

“Sports gave me everything,” Smith-Rey added. “If I can give a little bit back to athletes so that they can understand their sport a little better, that would be super meaningful to me.”

 Those interested in following the development of Sport PhD can find them on LinkedIn and Instagram.  

The Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute is proud to have as part of its cohort of faculty members two College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences representatives, both from the Department of Automotive Engineering. 

Johnell Brooks, Ph.D.

Brooks is an associate professor in the Department of Automotive Engineering with a master’s in applied psychology – human factors engineering and a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology. 

A Clemson University alumnus, Brooks has been at Clemson for over two decades and has been at the forefront of the University’s automotive vehicle research, primarily focusing on the interface of humans and automobiles. 

Brooks has led Clemson’s Deep Orange vehicle designs and research, working with a research team and automotive manufacturers to enable aging drivers, wounded warriors and youth with autism to maximize their independence. 

Click here to learn more about Brooks.

Qilun Zhu, Ph.D.

Zhu is a research associate professor in the Department of Automotive Engineering with a master’s in mechanical engineering and a Ph.D. in Automotive Engineering. 

Zhu’s research is focused on the optimal control and estimation of automotive powertrain components and systems. He is a member of the Automotive and Transportation Systems Technical Committee and Automotive Controls Technical Committee. 

An Institute Faculty Fellow since 2017, Zhu has taught several courses at Clemson, including Advanced and Electrified Powertrains (AUE 402) and Automotive Control Systems (AUE 827). 

Click here to learn more about Zhu.