Faculty Directory
Dr. Tomi Wahlstrom Biography
Dr. Tomi L. Wahlström is a multilingual, multicultural academic leader with expertise in teaching, business, academic management, consulting and clinical human services.
He previously served for more than a decade at the American Intercontinental University (AIU) in Chicago, Ill., and Los Angeles, Calif., where he held numerous roles including lead faculty, program chair, associate vice president of academic affairs and dean of business.
Wahlström previously served as vice president of academic affairs at Argosy University in Tampa, Fla., dean of professional studies and human services at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Fla., and executive director of the Center for Social Responsibility and Community for the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta. He has also served on the faculty for the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Colorado State University Pueblo and the University of Maryland.
In addition to his work in education, Wahlström has for more than a decade managed Otavala Consulting, Inc., a nationally recognized firm that specializes in strategic planning, organizational development and leadership in higher education. He previously owned management consulting companies Omni Management Group in Colorado and Apollo Consulting in Hawaii.
Throughout his career, Wahlström has specialized in management consulting, leadership coaching, career counseling, conflict mediation and public speaking. He has also served as a clinical/family therapist.
Wahlström holds a Doctor of Management degree from Colorado Technical University, a master’s degree in human resource management from the Hawaii Pacific University and a master’s degree in instructional design from Saint Leo (Fla.) University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hawaii Pacific.
Dr. Fred Cromartie's Biography
Dr. Fred Cromartie’s Biography
Dr. Fred Cromartie is the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Academy. Cromartie is also an Academy alumnus, having earned his Doctor of Education and Master of Sports Science degrees here. Cromartie also holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree from Ripon College.
At the Academy, Cromartie has held various leadership positions including: Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Chair of Sports Management, Chair of Sports Studies, Chair of Sports Medicine, Chair of Health and Fitness Management, Chair of Sports Coaching, Executive Director of Alumni Relations and a member of the Alumni Associations Board of Directors, Director of Student Services, Director of Continuing Education, Distance Learning Faculty Member, Admissions Counselor and Graduate Assistant.
Cromartie was recognized for his service to the Academy by being selected as The Distinguished Alumnus of the Year 2002.
Dr. Brandon Spradley's Biography
Dr. Brandon Spradley earned his doctoral degree from the United States Sports Academy in sports management and currently serves as the Dean of Graduate Studies and an Associate Professor for the Academy. Dr. Spradley previously served as the Chair of Sports Management and helped the Academy become the first institution to have its bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral sports management degree programs accredited by the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), which is an international accrediting body for business programs.
Dr. Spradley also served as the Director of Continuing Education working on international programs and special projects. He has been involved in the successful development and implementation of sport education programs across the world. Dr. Spradley is a member of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) and is a Registered Athletic Administrator (RAA) through the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA).
Dr. Spradley has received numerous academic and athletic achievement awards. Dr. Spradley is one of the youngest faculty members in the history of the Academy promoted to associate professor rank and was one of the youngest students to earn a doctoral degree. His expertise is in leadership, sports administration, and concussion education. Dr. Spradley has been involved in developing and facilitating concussion awareness programs in the state of Alabama and is dedicated to educating coaches, administrators, athletes, and parents about sports-related concussions.
Dr. Spradley was also a track and field sprinter at The University of Alabama, where he completed his master’s and bachelor’s degrees. He was a four-time NCAA regional qualifier and a two-time NCAA national qualifier in track and field running on nationally ranked relay teams. Dr. Spradley currently serves in various leadership capacities for successful non-profit and service-oriented organizations. He is a dedicated educator with a blend of expertise in teaching, leading, and serving.
Dr. Roch A. King's Biography
King served as the director of sport development for Indiana Swimming and oversaw the High-Performance Plan for club swimming throughout the state. He has coached swimming at all levels from age-group to masters including serving on the staff at Carmel Swim Club (CSC) and Carmel High School in Carmel, Ind. King has also held coaching certifications in volleyball and water polo.
King served a three-year term on the executive board of the National Council for the Accreditation of Coaching Education, during which he served one year as president (2006-2007). He has celebrated his 18th year as a senior trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance for whom he has led live workshops for coaches, athletes, parents, and youth sport organization leaders across the country. King has presented on coaching and coach education internationally in countries such as the United Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia, and Finland.
Dr. Vandy Pacetti-Donelson's Biography
Dr. Vandy Pacetti-Donelson currently serves as the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. She is responsible for strategic planning, information management, supervising non-resident faculty, and leading the design, development, and implementation of a continuous quality improvement strategy for courses.
Dr. Pacetti-Donelson previously served as the Director of Library and Instructional Design where she managed the Robert Block Library and its services and the Instructional Design Department. Dr. Pacetti-Donelson provided reference services and research assistance to students, faculty and staff. She has taught information literacy sessions, created content for online learning, and served as a subject matter expert for scholastic honesty and innovation with instructional technology including the implementation of high-quality online courses based on robust pedagogical design principles and best practices.
Dr. Pacetti-Donelson holds an undergraduate degree in Music and English, a master’s degrees in Music Education and Library and Information Science from The University of Southern Mississippi, and a doctorate in Instructional Leadership with an emphasis in Instructional Technology and Distance Education from the Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice at Nova Southeastern University. She has published articles on modular design, conceptual modelling, library advocacy, paperless instruction, and quantitative analysis of evolving knowledge domains. Her most recent publications focus on metacognition in the research process, iterative course development and Agile project management in instructional design.
Dr. Pacetti-Donelson has served in various organizations as a committee member, board director, webmaster, and communications officer. She is a member of the AECT, USDLA, and the American Library Association. Dr. Pacetti-Donelson has been involved in developing and facilitating non-profit bylaw revisions and championing policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in educational associations. She currently serves as the Executive Editor for The Sport Journal, an electronic, peer-reviewed scientific journal addressing current issues in sport, published with the goal of advancing sport knowledge through research and expertise.
Before joining the Academy, Dr. Pacetti-Donelson served 20 years as a Librarian and Educator in K-12 education in central Florida and Mississippi, before serving as Online Librarian at Ultimate Medical Academy in Tampa, Florida. She is a former Teacher of the Year and a nationally recognized presenter and advocate for libraries.
Dr. Pacetti-Donelson was a member of the billiards team at the University of Mississippi, where she completed master’s and bachelor’s degrees. She has also served as a USA Archery Certified Instructor for the Heart of Florida Girl Scouts of America.
Dr. Katrina Wahlstrom's Biography
Dr. Katrina Wahlstrom is an accomplished business and education professional with a demonstrated history working in the higher education industry. Wahlstrom has excelled in roles working in career development, coaching, conflict resolution, instructional design, and facilitation.
Wahlstrom has worked in higher education as a faculty member, administrator, and advisor at Saint Leo University and American InterContinental University. She also worked as a managing partner in management consulting firm Otavala Consulting in Tampa, Fla.
Wahlstrom holds a Doctor of Management degree in organizational development and change from Colorado Technical University and a master’s degree in business administration from North Park University. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from American InterContinental University. She is also certified as a Professional Resume Writer by the Professional Association of Resume Writers.
Dr. Carlos Aquino's Biography
Dr. Carlos Tasso Eira De Aquino is an accomplished professor, combining a Ph.D. and two post-docs with more than 20 years of experience in leading companies and higher education organizations, and contributing to scholarship in different areas of knowledge. Along his career, Aquino accumulated achievements and recognition as Chief Academic Officer, Provost, Executive Director, Dean of Business, Dean of Accreditation, and Chair of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, in institutions in the United States and abroad, with student and faculty bodies that encompassed a clear diversity of cultures.
In academia, he has been strategically building and leading diverse teams to solve complex, systemic problems, besides managing, teaching, developing and supervising relevant research. He has an extensive experience to work effectively with faculty, staff, students, and administrators in a student-centered environment, committed to the integration of professional practices and academics to meet society’s present and future needs.
His experience and network in the Sports arena transcend boundaries and include expertise in teaching and development. He has helped multiple institutions and organizations in the US and abroad to grow their programs, and increase their participation and recognition in global markets. Along his career, Aquino has been responsible for reviewing and updating academic, and continuing education programs, developing new domestic and international partnerships, while coordinating relationships with existing and new partners in the USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe and Africa. He is well-traveled and multilingual, being a native speaker of Portuguese and fluent in English and Spanish, with basic understanding of Italian and French.
Aquino is also a prolific scholar, with his academic production including more than 100 publications and presentations in journals and peer-reviewed conferences, and being the speaker and panelist in more than 30 events in the USA and abroad. Only in the past three years he had more than 17 conference presentations and 10 peer-reviewed articles accepted by peer-reviewed journals. He has recently published 2 books with Springer-Palgrave McMillan: Diversity and Inclusion in the Global Workplace: Aligning Initiatives with Strategic Business Goals (September 2017), and Effective and Creative Leadership in Diverse Workforces: Improving Organizational Performance and Culture in the Workplace (January 2019). He is currently writing a third one, focusing on Diversity and Inclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean region. He previously authored a book on Andragogy and Adult Education, published by Pearson Brazil in 2008.
Dr. Marty K. Avant's Biography
Dr. Anthony Borgese's Biography
Dr. Michael Culpepper's Biography
Dr. Culpepper has had a successful career of teaching, coaching, training, and research. He earned his Ed. D. in Health, Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alabama in 1981. He has a master’s in physiology/biophysics from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and a bachelor’s degree in biology/chemistry from UAB. Dr. Culpepper also has a certificate of advanced study in education from UAB and a State of Alabama Certification in Educational Administration from the University of Montevallo. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Dr. Culpepper has been associated with the United States Sports Academy since 1987 and has taught the Academy’s Sport Coaching Certification Program in Thailand and Malaysia. He has coached softball, basketball, football, tennis, and baseball and officiated in football and baseball. He has worked as a consultant and an assistant professor in the areas of health, physical therapy, and biomechanics and is a widely-published researcher in areas related to sports medicine.
Dr. Dexter J. Davis's Biography
Dr. Erwei Dong's Biography
Ms. Hollye Dueitt's Biography
Hollye Dueitt has seven years of experience teaching on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts in English and a Master’s of Arts in Education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She worked extensively as a tutor and mentor to the athletes at UAB while in graduate school. It is her passion to help students reach their full potential as learners in secondary and collegiate level classrooms. She has a particular love of all things Viking and is especially interested in the myths and legends of the Anglo Saxons. In her free time, she likes to play board games with her husband and three kids, read, hike, and knit. She is an avid coffee drinker.
Dr. Nick Elam's Biography
Dr. Robert Herron's Biography
Robert L. Herron earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Auburn University at Montgomery and a master’s degree in exercise science from the University of Alabama. Additionally, he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® with distinction from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CSCS*D) and a clinical exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM-CEP). Herron has extensive experience in higher education teaching and applied research.
Ms. Sanita Jetton's Biography
Sanita Jetton is a professor of art and course writer at Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Ala. She previously worked as an adjunct art professor at both the University of South Alabama and Faulkner State Community College.
An accomplished painter, Jetton earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Mo., and her bachelor’s degree in painting from the University of South Alabama. She has exhibited her works in galleries in Mobile, Ala.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Ysilanti, Mich. She is certified by both the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and Lead U.
Dr. William Kruse's Biography
Dr. Kruse has over 23 years of experience as a litigator, trial, and sports attorney. He is a member of the bar association in the states of California and Texas. Additionally, Dr. Kruse is General Counsel and Head of Officials for one of the largest youth football and cheer organizations in the United States. He is part of the team which certifies and instructs thousands of board members, coaches, and officials throughout the year. Further, he has officiated American football at the college, high school, and youth levels.
Dr. Jordan Moon's Biography
Dr. Moon is the Executive Director of Research and Education at ImpediMed Inc., a medical device company focusing on fluid and tissue changes in clinical populations. He is a former Department Chair of Sports Exercise Science at the United States Sports Academy and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction (CSCS*D) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as well as a Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP-C) through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). He has trained all levels of athletes, including professionals in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, as well as college athletes and teams in addition to youth and fitness clients.
Dr. Moon has been teaching undergraduate and graduate students for over a decade, has presented over 45 lectures at multiple scientific conferences and events both nationally and internationally, and he has published more than 135 research articles and abstracts in dozens of journals. He has also written a book chapter and published a book in the areas of sports nutrition, exercise science, body composition, body water, and changes regarding age and fitness level. Dr. Moon received his PhD in Exercise Physiology from The University of Oklahoma, his Master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from Florida Atlantic University, and his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Grand Valley State University.
Dr. Tim Newman's Biography
Dr. Holly Park's Bio
Dr. Holly Park is a human geography instructor and an instructional designer. Park has worked as a geography and English as a second language teacher at the collegiate and high school levels for more than a decade. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geography in Geography from Jacksonville State University, a master’s degree in geography from Auburn University, an M.Ed. Certification in Education from the University of South Alabama, and a Ph.D(c) in Instructional Design from the University of South Alabama. Her research focuses on immigration patterns for South Korean immigrants as well as creating effective instruction for Geography courses. She is a 4th degree blackbelt and certified Instructor in Taekwondo and owned a private Dojang for 5 years.
Dr. Bonnie Tiell's Biography
At Tiffin University, Tiell has served as Dean of Graduate Education, NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative, MBA Chairperson, Senior Woman Administrator, Assistant Athletic Director, and Head Coach for volleyball, softball (national qualifier 1993) and tennis (national qualifier 2003). She earned a Bachelor’s of Education from Troy University, a Masters in Sport Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Doctorate in Sport Management and Human Resources from the United States Sports Academy where she was recognized as the 2014 Alumnus of Year. As a former recipient of the Region 4 Excellence in Teaching Award through the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs, Tiell is also a member of the Tiffin University Athletic Hall of Fame and recipient of the 2013 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Donahue Service Award.
Dr. Brian Wallace's Biography
Dr. Brian Wallace is part of our non-resident faculty at the United States Sports Academy, where he previously served as chair of sport fitness and health. He has also served on the Academy’s National Faculty, a group of highly qualified faculty who teach in the institution’s international post-secondary non-degree education programs. He has served on numerous doctoral dissertation committees for the institution and directed the Academy’s Human Performance Lab.
After earning his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from Florida State University (FSU), Wallace directed the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Fitness and Testing Center at Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center. He also has served as senior vice president of applied physiology and nutrition for the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Fla., and executive director of the lifestyle and performance center at Evolution Sports Science in Boston, Mass.
Wallace has served as an adjunct professor at FSU, as well as a seminar speaker and consultant for Cross Country Education (Vyne Education). He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and has numerous publications in scientific, medical and fitness journals.
Wallace has an extensive research record and his certifications have included the ACSM and National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He has more than 30 years of experience with everyone from Olympic and professional athletes to cardiac and diabetic patients. This background has allowed Wallace to create a cutting edge physiologic testing system that blends the most recent advances in health, fitness, and nutrition science to identify individual strengths, weaknesses and needs.
Wallace earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in exercise physiology from Southern Illinois University.