About
Welcome from the Director
As the new Director of the Sydney and J.L. Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance, I am pleased to welcome you to examine our mission, history, activities, and events detailed on our website. While I am new to the Institute Director role here in College Station, the Huffines Institute and Texas A&M University are not new to me.
The annual Huffines Discussion lectures, which have continued as Hilliard Discussions, have resonated nationally for many years as a forum highlighting innovative and impactful research on sports medicine and human performance. I have had the good fortune to have many colleagues participate in these annual events, which are eagerly anticipated and viewed by students, faculty, coaches, and clinicians nationally and internationally.
Over the years, I have also had many opportunities to interact with talented students, faculty, and alumni across the Texas A&M campus. These individuals have made and continue to make significant contributions to research, education, and professional organizations that impact the broad fields of health and exercise science, sports medicine, and athletic performance. Needless to say, I am very excited about the opportunity to join the vibrant environment on the Texas A&M campus and the Huffines Institute.
From our events, activities, and programs, you will see that the Huffines Institute is well positioned within the energetic environment at Texas A&M to positively impact the people of Texas and the Nation by disseminating, applying, and creating new knowledge involving sports medicine and human performance.
Undoubtedly, the strategic leveraging of Huffines Institute resources and planning for future growth can continue to catalyze these impactful contributions from our talented, motivated, and creative students, faculty, clinicians, coaches, and community. I look forward to working with our students, faculty affiliates, advisory board members, and administration to generate the creative space, interactions, and resources to foster this future growth.
As we examine all the activities the Huffines Institute has been involved in recently and subsequently plan for the future, we must look back to acknowledge the forward-thinking individuals who laid the foundation for all of those who have and will benefit from the Huffines Institute. These individuals include Dr. Jack Wilmore's vision, financial resources provided by an endowment by Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Huffines, and a separate estate gift from Mike and Debbie Hilliard. The path to today was also paved by the outstanding leadership of prior Institute Directors Dr. Stephen Crouse and Dr. Tim Lightfoot. A special thank you is reserved for the tireless work of Dr. Jenna Yentes, who, in her recent service as Acting Director of the Huffines Institute, successfully led the Institute into a new era of growth and productivity by developing new interactions, programs, and initiatives. Furthermore, there is an extraordinary place in the Huffines Institute legacy that has served as the x-factor in all the success to date; these individuals are the talented, creative, and motivated Texas A&M undergraduate and graduate students who have been the boots on the ground for all the successful initiatives and events over the years.
In closing, it is my hope, after reviewing our events and activities, that you are as excited as I am for how the Sydney and J.L. Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance can continue to grow in the role as a critical catalyst at Texas A&M for education, research, and community interaction in the broadly defined areas of sports medicine and human performance.
Sincerely,
Our Mission
Bring together scientists and clinicians to collaborate on important research issues in sports medicine and human performance.
Huffines Internal Advisory Board
2024 - 2025
The Huffines Institute is grateful to the professionals who serve on the Internal Advisory Board. This Board serves as an oversight body for the programs and initiatives of the Huffines Institute. The Internal Advisory Board is made up of professionals from within Texas A&M University, and the current members include:
- Dr. Ana Diaz Artiles, Assistant Professor, Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
- Mr. Scott Battley, Director of Sports Science, TAMU Athletics
- Dr. Chendil Damodaran, Professor & Associate Dean of Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy
- Dr. Marlene Dixon, Professor & Chair, Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, College of Education and Human Development
- Dr. Bryan Mann, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, College of Education and Human Development
- Dr. Laura Marsh, Clinical Assistant Professor & Sports Medicine Fellowship Director, College of Medicine
- Dr. Jason Moats, Professor of Practice & Director, USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness, School of Public Health
- Mr. Bo Sandoval, Assistant Athletic Director, Strength & Conditioning, TAMU Athletics
- Mr. Paul Siebert, Public Sector Program Director, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service
- Dr. Chase Straw, Assistant Professor, Turfgrass Science, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
- Dr. Jenna Yentes, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, College of Education & Human Development
- Dr. Sheri Walters, Associate Athletic Director, Director of Sports Medicine, TAMU Athletics
- Dr. Kelly Wilson, Professor, College of Nursing
Ex Officio Members
- Dr. James Carson, Director, Huffines Institute
- Dr. Steve Martin, Director, Physical Readiness Testing Laboratory
- Dr. Steven Reichman, Director, Tactical Human Performance Laboratory
- Dr. Mike Thornton, Director, Thornton-McFerrin Coaching Academy
- Ms. Amy Hurley, Senior Director of Development, College of Education & Human Development
Our History
In 1999, Dr. Jack Wilmore and several faculty members at Texas A&M University began to meet to connect the science and practice of sports medicine and human performance more closely. Dr. Wilmore and his colleagues witnessed the gradual separation between researchers in sports medicine and human performance areas from the implementation strategies by clinicians, practitioners, and coaches. Thus, the premise for forming and growing the Huffines Institute was born.
Since our beginning, the Huffines Institute’s mission has evolved to connect exercise scientists, practitioners, and the public to help spread the word that activity and exercise are the cheapest and most efficient forms of disease prevention and symptom alleviation. We believe that the Institute’s mission will lead to better health for the general public. The Huffines Institute continues to provide important health-related research and information to clinicians, practitioners, and the public through our podcasts, sponsored lectures, and Hilliard Discussions.
As we examine all the activities the Huffines Institute has been involved in, we must look back to acknowledge the forward-thinking individuals who laid the foundation for all of those who have and will benefit from the Huffines Institute. These individuals include Dr. Jack Wilmore's vision, financial resources provided by an endowment by Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Huffines, and a separate estate gift from Mike and Debbie Hilliard. The path to today was also paved by the outstanding leadership of prior Institute Directors Dr. Stephen Crouse, Dr. Tim Lightfoot, and Dr. Jenna Yentes. These individuals successfully led the Institute into new areas of growth and productivity through the development of new interactions, programs, and initiatives that are located throughout this website. Furthermore, there is an extraordinary place in the Huffines Institute legacy that has served as the x-factor in all the success to date; these individuals are the talented, creative, and motivated Texas A&M undergraduate and graduate students who have been the boots on the ground for all the successful initiatives and events over the years.
We invite you to join our community that is dedicated to investigating, applying, and engaging in a dialogue about sports medicine and human performance. You can easily listen to or watch any of our podcasts and use our exclusive content. But we hope you won’t stop there. Connect to us through Twitter to stay up with the daily happenings at the Huffines Institute. We are working to make access to Sports Medicine and Human Performance easy for you and the World.