Month: January 2026

By Katie Gerbasich

‘Awesome’ is now a four-letter word for many female students: AWSM, or the Association of Women in Sports Media. AWSM is dedicated to empowering and supporting women interested in sports media. The Clemson chapter, advised by Department of Communication Assistant Professor and Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute Faculty Fellow Rikishi Smith-Rey, Ph.D., is part of the nationally recognized AWSM network of schools. 

“I’m really excited to be with them now, because I feel like I have a lot to bring to them, whether it’s sharing my network or what I know about sport and media,” Smith-Rey said. 

Department of Communication student Erin Mason has always had a passion for supporting women in sports. She joined AWSM as a first-year student, dreaming of the day she could work in the industry.

“Growing up around sports, I saw how male-dominated the field was and witnessed women in sports be doubted and pushed to the side,” Mason said. “Seeing this made me want to make a positive impact on women in the industry and women looking to break into the industry.” 

 She initially described the club in her first year as having only a couple of meetings a semester, featuring guest speakers. Now, as president, she has helped AWSM expand. 

“Watching this club grow over the years has been truly amazing,” Mason said. “Now, AWSM has over 140 active members, bi-weekly meetings, as well as drop-in meetings and other events. We provide professional development opportunities & resources consistently to all active members.”

A highlight for Mason has been the launch of its new athletic credentialing program last semester. Members now have the opportunity to apply for an accredited photo or press pass for athletic events. Following the event, members must promptly create and publish media.

The organization worked with Jeff Kallin, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications, to establish the importance of getting students in front of cameras and working with cameras in front of coaches. Additionally, having to learn what the sports world is like, with a quick turnaround on product time. AWSM covered 46 events across 55 different credentialed members last semester. 

 “It’s a competitive process to be able to get a pass, but we have someone at every single sporting event,” Smith-Rey said. 

Community Outreach Chair, Caity Eng, has been managing the credentialing experience.

“Our members have put in so much hard work, and it has been so wonderful to see them shine, whether it is their first sports photography or reporting experience, or to expand their current skills and portfolio,” Eng said. 

“Seeing and hearing about everyone’s passion for sports media and their time working on the sidelines and the press box has been so fulfilling.”

Last semester, the club participated in a professional photoshoot utilizing the Nieri Family Student-Athlete Enrichment Center’s studio. Members received a camera workshop before the event. Exclusive experiences like this are what Smith-Rey believes make the organization unique. 

“These students wouldn’t ever really have that opportunity if this association didn’t exist,” Smith-Rey said. “I love that it’s specific to females to give them a voice and a chance to grow.” 

Female students across all majors can connect through the common thread of sport. 

“You see business students talking with sports communication students, talking with engineering students, and it’s a really cool way for them to be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t think we had anything in common, but you love sports, and I love sports,’” Smith-Rey said.

Looking ahead, the organization hopes to continue strengthening its relationship with Clemson Athletics to make a greater impact on students’ professional development and the community. 

“In such a male-dominated field, women in sports must stick together, support one another no matter what, and unite on issues that pertain to us,” Mason said. “As female representation continues to grow in the sports industry, I hope to be a voice and supportive figure for women in the industry.”

By Katie Gerbasich

Happy New Year, from the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute. For the Spring 2026 semester, RHBSSI welcomed three new and two returning student interns. Additionally, through the UPIC Beyond the Game program, two student-athlete interns will join the group. These students bring a multitude of experiences that will help drive new ideas that support the Institute’s mission. 

Evy Lane, Communications Lead

Evy Lane is a senior Marketing major and Spanish minor from Piedmont, South Carolina. In her fourth semester with the Institute, she will serve as the Communications Lead, which entails creating a content calendar and editing or posting blogs across RHBSSI social media handles. Lane has two cats, Otto and Lottie, whom she adores dearly.

Katie Gerbasich, Writer/Editor

Katie Gerbasich is a senior Sports Communication major and Women’s Leadership minor from Houston, Texas. In her third semester with the Institute, she will be assisting the team in detailing the stories of sports science endeavors. Gerbasich has prior experience with Clemson Baseball’s Sports Analytics team and has written sports articles for Tiger View Media.

Nathan Inman, Writer/Editor

Nathan Inman is a junior double majoring in Sports Communication and Marketing from Spartanburg, South Carolina. He has been involved with The Tiger student newspaper for three years and was recently appointed Assistant Sports Editor. This semester, Inman looks forward to continuing to grow as a writer and collaborating with the rest of the team.

Sofia Cordi, Events Lead

Sofia Cordi is a senior at Clemson University pursuing a B.S. in Management with an emphasis in Human Resources, a concentration in Entrepreneurship, and a Global Leadership Certificate. She serves as the Events Lead intern for The Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute, where she supports the planning and execution of events that foster collaboration, innovation, and community engagement across sports science and performance disciplines.

Previously, Sofia worked with Incora Health, a women’s health startup developing patented smart earrings that capture real-time biodata, where she supported community engagement, content strategy, and cross-functional initiatives. Her experience also includes work with Kognitos, a generative AI company in healthcare automation, and Clemson’s Brook T. Smith Launchpad. Sofia is passionate about innovation, strategic planning, and building meaningful connections through events and community-focused initiatives.

Katie Colton, Graphic Designer

Katie Colton is a Graphic Communications major with a minor in Brand Communications from York, South Carolina. This past year, she worked with Clemson Creative Inquiry and Undergraduate Research’s Decipher Magazine. Colton traveled to Italy over winter break.

Shanque Williams, Beyond the Game Intern

Shanque Williams is a sophomore Psychology major with a minor in Business Management. Williams is a track and field athlete from Jamaica. She’s excited to meet the team and begin working.

Kevin Collins, Beyond the Game Intern

Kevin Collins is a senior Economics major with a Minor in Business Administration from Waldorf, Maryland. He competes in shorts sprints with track and field.

By Katie Gerbasich

Kathryn Kisska-Schulze, J.D., LL.M., a Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute Faculty Fellow and the Elliott Davis Associate Professor in the School of Accountancy in The Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business, recently published work on athlete name, image and likeness (NIL) rights that was relied upon by the Tennessee legislature in 2025. Her article, An Evolving Landscape: Name, Image and Likeness Rights in High School Athletes, co-authored by Adam Epstein from Central Michigan University and Nathaniel Grow from Indiana University, was cited as a research reference and practice aid in drafting Tenn. Code Ann. § 47-25-1103, which addresses NIL rights.

The article examines the evolving NIL landscape for high school student-athletes, identifying potential financial risks and proposing a framework to better protect minor student-athletes entering endorsement agreements.

“This honor showcases the impact our research can have on major state legislative interests,” Kissaka-Schulze said.

In spring 2024, Kisska-Schulze launched the School of Accountancy’s first undergraduate sports law course. She also teaches a graduate sports law course for the College of Business’ Master of Science in Sports Business and Analytics program.

Kisska-Schulze has served as chair of the Sports and Entertainment Law Section of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, represents the College of Business on Clemson University’s Faculty Athletic Council, and was recently named a Brooks Sports Science Institute Fellow.

Individuals who suffer from chronic pain have increasingly come to rely on kratom, a Southeast Asian plant whose principal psychoactive alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), may soon become Schedule I Controlled Substances in the United States. The two compounds bind to, and partially activate, opioid receptors in the brain.

“People in Southeast Asia have long relied on teas brewed from kratom leaves not only to manage pain but to ease the symptoms of opiate withdrawal,” said Bryan E. Denham, Ph.D., Campbell Professor of Sports Communication in the Department of Communication at Clemson. “Although kratom is not entirely safe, it appears to be less hazardous than concentrated, synthetic versions of 7-OH, manufactured by unscrupulous firms. Synthetics are sold at gas stations and vape stores and are packaged to attract the attention of high-school and college-aged individuals.”

Denham’s study appears in the Journal of Substance Use and addresses the extent to which kratom use correlates with health concerns and signs of dependency on other substances. One finding showed that individuals struggling to quit prescription pain relievers were more than four times as likely as others to have used kratom, a substance the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) considers “drug of concern.” In July 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised the DEA to add mitragynine and 7-OH to the list of Controlled Substances, and the DEA is currently considering that recommendation.

“It will be interesting to see what the DEA chooses to do in the coming months,” Denham said. “It announced plans in 2016 to ban mitragynine and 7-OH, but it received significant pushback from kratom users. This time, the FDA has made it a point to state plainly that its recommendation does not include the kratom plant itself. It is primarily interested in the two alkaloids and especially the hazardous synthetic products. A trade group, the American Kratom Association, has endorsed the recommended actions on mitragynine and 7-OH.”

Denham studies the media, health, and policy aspects of substance use in sport and society. He said that in sport, athletes have used kratom to increase energy and to recuperate from intense exercise. Some athletes believe it enhances their focus during competition, and some experiment with it for pain relief. Technically, kratom is not a banned substance, but the United States Anti-Doping Agency advises athletes to avoid using it given potential side effects. Athletes and non-athletes alike should appreciate that kratom is a drug, not a dietary supplement, and they should be aware of manipulative labels on synthetic substances.

In addition to his study in the Journal of Substance Use, Denham has examined the agenda-building function of mass media on kratom policy, exploring how coverage in major national news outlets and regional news organizations has impacted regulatory action. Denham said the Tampa Bay Times, in particular, has examined kratom use in depth, and its reporting has impacted coverage elsewhere in addition to policy conversations at the state and national levels.