Committee Chairs
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Education |
Dr. Buckley is a Professor at the University of Delaware. You can view his CV here.
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Ethnic Diversity advisory Committee (EDAC)Melanee Johnson
melaneej@udel.edu |
A graduate of Howard University and Shenandoah (Va.) University, Johnson will serve as the head athletic trainer for the Blue Hen women's basketball squad as well as for the softball team during the fall and the men's soccer program during the spring.
A native of Philadelphia, Johnson came to Delaware after serving as assistant athletic trainer at Rutgers University the last eight years. While at Rutgers, Johnson served as primary athletic trainer with the women's volleyball, softball, and women's soccer programs and played a key role in the women's soccer team advancing to the NCAA semifinals in 2015 and the NCAA second round in 2014. She also served as a graduate assistant trainer at Rutgers in 2006-07 and worked with the Scarlet Knights football and wrestling programs while also supervising undergraduate student athletic trainers. Johnson earned her undergraduate degree in health science with a minor in pre-physical therapy from Howard in 2003. While at Howard, she was a student athletic trainer for three years and was a member of the Red Cross Club. Johnson moved on to Shenandoah University and earned her master's degree in athletic training in 2008. She served as graduate assistant athletic trainer and worked primarily with the men's basketball and women's lacrosse programs while also serving at nearby Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va. |
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Governmental AffairsDan Watson, MEd, LAT, ATC
dwatson@udel.edu |
Watson earned his degree in athletic training with honors from the University of Delaware in 1995. He moved on to the University of Virginia where he earned his master's degree in education, athletic training, and sports medicine in 1996.
He began his career at Yale University where he served as assistant athletic trainer from 1996-99. While at Yale, he was active as medical coordinator with the National Youth Sports Program while providing free physicals to underprivileged children and also assisted at the Yale Physical Therapy Clinic where he designed and administered rehabilitation programs for the faculty, staff, and students. Watson moved on to Rutgers University in 1999 and served for five years before returning to Delaware in 2004. In 2013, he was promoted to Head Athletic Trainer at UD and currently serves in that role. He has served the DATA in various roles, including President (2011-2013), Executive Board Member (2009-2015), Governmental Affairs liaison (2013-present), and District 2 CAS Board (2011-present). Watson resides in Newark with his wife, Minda and their son, Jude. |
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Honors and AwardsBrandon DeSantis, MS, LAT, ATC
desantis@udel.edu |
He is the top assistant to head athletic trainer Dan Watson with the Blue Hens football program while also handling athletic training needs for the UD men's and women's golf teams.
DeSantis came to Delaware with experience from the highest levels of NCAA Division I athletics, having worked as an assistant at Pitt, Kentucky, and UCLA. He also worked as an intern with National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers for seven months in 2009-10. A native of North Huntingdon, Pa., DeSantis graduated summa cum laude with a degree in athletic training from the University of Pittsburgh in 2010 and earned his master's degree in athletic training from the University of Kentucky in 2012. He most recently served for two years as assistant athletic trainer at UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif. in 2012-14. While at UCLA, he served as assistant athletic trainer for the Bruins football team and was primary athletic trainer for the women's tennis squad. He also mentored students from California State University-Long Beach and was an instructor for the UCLA Sports Medicine Internship Program in the area of injury evaluation. While an undergraduate at Pitt, he was a student athletic trainer for the Panther football and women's basketball teams, assisted with the football team at nearby Carnegie Mellon University, and served his internship with the Steelers. During his time with the Steelers, he revised and created the 2009-10 Pittsburgh Steelers Sports Medicine Standard Operating Procedures Manual. He then moved on to Kentucky where he served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for two years in 2010-12. He was the primary athletic trainer for the Wildcat women's gymnastics, dance, and men's golf programs and provided practice coverage for men's basketball and off-season support for the football team. An Eagle Scout, DeSantis was a Dean's List student at Pitt, was a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and earned the NATA Research and Education Foundation Scholarship in 2010. He has also been active as a student mentor and as a volunteer with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky, The Call to Serve, Special Olympics, and Ronald McDonald House. |
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Public RelationsOpen Position
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Secondary SchoolsHeather Heidel
heather.heidel@sussexvt.k12.de.us |
Heather Heidel received her undergraduate degree in athletic training from the University of Delaware. Before joining the staff at Sussex Tech, Heather worked as an athletic trainer at another area high school and at Tidewater Physical Therapy in Milton, DE.
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WebmasterNikki Lounsberry
nlouns@udel.edu |
Nikki Lounsberry is currently an Assistant AT at the University of Delaware. She has served as the webmaster for DATA since 2014.
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