NATIONAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2025 ELECTION RESULTS

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) announces the results of its 2025 Elections, as selected by NSCA Members. These individuals, nominated for their dedication and contributions to the NSCA and professional community, will help shape the organization’s future and further our mission to advance strength and conditioning.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Darnell K. Clark, EdD, CSCS,*D, RSCC*E
Disa Hatfield, PhD, CSCS,*D, FNSCA

NOMINATION COMMITTEE
Rachel Cassalia (Larson), PhD, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D
Brandon Roberts, PhD, MBA, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D

Dr. Darnell K. Clark is currently a lecturer and the Graduate School Practicum Coordinator in the Department of Applied Physiology, Health, and Clinical Sciences at the CASCE-accredited University of North Carolina Charlotte. He teaches and develops courses focused on strength and conditioning principles, periodization, applied sports science, and effective coaching pedagogy. As graduate practicum coordinator, Dr. Clark enhances students’ professional development by identifying ideal practicum sites and dedicated preceptors for mentorship, creating a supportive learning environment to help students succeed in the field of strength and conditioning. Before joining UNC Charlotte, Dr. Clark served nearly two decades as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Charlotte Country Day School, training 70 teams across 24 sports. He was honored as the NSCA High School Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 2014, guiding the school to ten consecutive NSCA Strength of America Awards and coaching 10 NSCA High School All-Americans.

Dr. Disa L. Hatfield is currently a Full Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Rhode Island. Her multidisciplinary research focuses on strength and conditioning, athletic performance, nutrition and supplementation, perception of exercise, exercise endocrinology, and non-nutritional ergogenic aids. Dr. Hatfield has published more than 70 peer-reviewed research articles and numerous book chapters, with an overarching emphasis on how these factors interact with and are influenced by resistance training and physical activity throughout the lifespan. In addition to her academic contributions, Dr. Hatfield has served as a strength and conditioning coach in the private sector and as a personal trainer. She is a former three-time USA Powerlifting (USAPL) National Champion powerlifter, an International Olympic Committee (IOC) World Games athlete, two-time American Bench Press record holder, and former head coach for the Men’s Pan American Powerlifting Team.

Dr. Rachel Cassalia is a Clinical Associate Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University and Director of the Military and Veteran Resilience and Health Collaborative. With extensive experience in health, fitness, strength and conditioning, research, and education, Dr. Cassalia has worked with diverse populations, including competitive athletes, tactical professionals, and the general public. Her career focuses on bridging the gap between scientific research and applied performance training to optimize resilience and readiness. An active leader within the NSCA, Dr. Cassalia has served in numerous roles, including Chair and Vice Chair of the State and Provincial Directors (SPD) Program, founding member of the Rugby Special Interest Group (SIG), Women's Committee member, and Executive Council member for the Sport Science and Performance Technology SIG. She conducts research aimed at enhancing the operational effectiveness of military personnel and first responders, mentoring future professionals, and supporting evidence-based practices.

Dr. Brandon Roberts is a Major serving in the U.S. Army as a Research Physiologist in the Military Performance Division at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. His primary mission is to optimize Warfighter health and performance. Through cell culture, animal models, clinical trials, and field studies, he investigates the body’s responses to exercise, injury, extreme environments, and pharmaceutical and nutritional interventions. Roberts earned his degrees from the University of Florida and completed a National Institutes of Health (NIH) postdoctoral fellowship in Exercise Medicine and Nutrition at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He served as Chief Scientific Officer for two companies, including a startup focused on energy-expenditure equations and a prominent online fitness coaching company.

Roberts has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers, received multiple prestigious early-career research awards, including the NSCA’s 2023 Terry J. Housh Outstanding Young Investigator Award, and competes internationally as a professional natural bodybuilder.

Election results were formally announced tonight, July 18, at the 2025 NSCA National Conference Awards Banquet in Kansas City, MO.

Media Note: To schedule an interview with election winners, please contact marketing@nsca.com.

About the National Strength & Conditioning Association

Founded in 1978, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an educational nonprofit dedicated to advancing strength and conditioning and sport science professions around the world. The NSCA empowers a community of professionals by disseminating evidence-based knowledge and its practical application through industry-leading certifications, peer-reviewed research journals, career development services, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 certified professionals and members worldwide who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.