Nikki Harris

I've been an athletic trainer since July 2012, almost 14 years now. Currently, I serve as an associate professor and Director of Student Recruitment at A.T. Still University, a private medical and health sciences institution, where I've been since 2021. My work is divided into several key areas. As a professor, I teach primarily in orthopedics in our post-professional master's of Athletic Training and doctor of athletic training programs, specifically teaching courses in orthopedic management and the management of surgical procedures and post-surgical rehabilitation. My research focuses on social determinants of learning, looking at the social, psychological, and contextual factors that help students succeed in graduate level education or healthcare education. I also research workforce sustainability, career advancement, and professional attrition, addressing the issue in athletic training where individuals tend to get to a certain point and leave the profession because of work-life balance and the demands of the job. I recently rolled off as chair of the National Athletic Training Association Career Advancement Committee, a position I held for four years, where I developed resources for athletic trainers with 7 to 12 years of experience. As Director of Student Recruitment, I handle our social media, exhibit at conferences, serve as the first point of contact for prospective students, and help them customize their degrees based on their career advancement needs. I describe my work as 'scholarly activism' because I use my research to be an advocate for athletic trainers, particularly athletic trainers of color as a Black female, as well as early professional or young professional athletic trainers.