RHBSSI celebrates excellence in sports science with 2025 GRIT Award recipients

By Katie Gerbasich

At the conclusion of Clemson University’s Research and Creative Endeavors in the Sports Sciences (RECESS) Symposium, hosted by the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute the week of November 10, 2025, four Clemson faculty were honored with 2025 GRIT Awards. These awards recognize nominated individuals or groups who distinguish themselves in various areas of sports science. A trophy was presented to the following winners. 

Community and Outreach in the Sports Sciences

Tobar studies the intersection of sport, tourism and heritage. He also serves as the head coach of Clemson’s Paralympic Soccer Program and co-founded the Football Tourism Institute, which aims to understand football tourism at the local and global levels. 

Over the summer of 2025, Tobar travelled internationally conducting sports research. In early May, he took a group of students to Germany to study the Culture of Remembrance and Political Activism in German Football. While abroad, he conducted two research studies: one examining stickers in and around stadiums as a form of fan expression and political activism, and another exploring how German soccer clubs suppress or communicate Holocaust history.

Tobar’s inclusive and critical teaching practices earned him the 2025 Junior Tenure-Track Outstanding Teaching Award from Clemson University’s College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. His commitment to experiential learning includes organizing class field trips to venues such as the Bank of America Stadium and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, facilitating networking opportunities with more than 41 sports industry professionals, and supporting undergraduate students as they participate in local sporting events.

For his dedication to both the Clemson and global community, the Institute has awarded Felipe Tobar with the GRIT Award for Community and Outreach in the Sports Sciences for the 2025-26 academic year. 

“He is richly deserving of this award,” commended Greg Ramshaw, Ph.D., Tobar’s colleague in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.

Research in the Sports Sciences

Corr’s scholarly research examines the institutional and organizational settings of collegiate athletics, with attention to the impact and outcomes of participation on various stakeholders. He serves as the executive director of the College Sport Research Institute and is the program manager for the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation.

“Dr. Chris Corr exemplifies the spirit of the GRIT Award in Research in Sports Sciences through his exceptional productivity, interdisciplinary collaboration and measurable impact on the study and practice of sport,” Sarah Stokowski, Corr’s colleague in the College of Education, said. 

Over the past three years, Corr has produced an extraordinary body of scholarship, authoring or co-authoring more than 70 peer-reviewed journal articles, multiple book chapters, and numerous presentations at national and international conferences. 

In a recent article, Corr explored public sentiment surrounding Clemson University’s decision to proceed with a football game the day after Hurricane Helene. The case highlighted the importance of organizational transparency when confronting crises.

Corr’s work has consistently been supported by competitive funding sources, including RHBSSI, the NCAA, the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA), and USA Ultimate, demonstrating the quality and applicability of his research. 

“Equally important, Dr. Corr’s collaborative spirit enriches Clemson’s research environment,” Stokowski said. “He actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students, co-authors with emerging scholars, and engages in applied projects that extend Clemson’s land-grant mission.”

Student Engagement in the Sports Sciences

Recognized for her unwavering commitment to student success, Sarah Stokowski, Ph.D., has made an impact on graduate education and student engagement within the Athletic Leadership program. She has supervised more than 75 doctoral students across both the Higher Education and P12 concentrations. 

“Dr. Stokowski is unbelievably passionate and committed to student learning and success,” noted her colleague from the College of Education, Chris Corr, Ph.D. “She is tremendously caring and committed to students’ scholarly achievement, and students walk away from her research methods course with a tangible academic publication and, more importantly for their professional development, an in-depth understanding of the research process. 

Her commitment to publishing with students has led many graduate students to continue their education by pursuing terminal degrees. 

“While Dr. Stokowski is an all-around tremendous scholar and influential member of the campus community, her commitment to student excellence and achievement is to be marveled at,” Corr said.In addition to her mentorship efforts, Stokowski was awarded a 2025 ESPN Research Fellowship by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute (IGI). Through this fellowship, she will research how student-athletes perceive and engage with online sports betting content. To learn more about her work, click here.

Friend of the Institute

Gurchiek is the principal investigator in the Human Movement Biomechanics Lab (HuMBL), where his team uses standard motion capture technologies for human movement analysis and biomechanics. 

A recent project, funded by RHBSSI, involved developing a passive assistive hamstring device to support muscle recovery. Read more about the work here.

Gurchiek has also been integral in collaborating with the Institute on plans for the University’s new human performance center on the ground floor of the student wellness center, which has recently broken ground.

“The Institute is very appreciative to Dr. Gurchiek for his continued leadership in the development of this new facility that will bring human performance research at Clemson to national prominence,” said John DesJardins, Ph.D., director of the Institute.