Schedule
The theme of our 2023 conference will be: “Speaking the Same Language.” Regardless of the vertical we work in (sports, industry, military, medical, or academic), we all face similar issues and opportunities in human performance, but we don’t always know how to communicate between sectors to share what we know. Therefore, we may be spending unnecessary time on a problem that another vertical has already mastered. By hearing from experts across these sectors who have successfully found solutions that impact all of us in human performance, attendees will learn:
- Commonalities across all sectors and shared concepts,
- The pros and cons of treating every vertical like a sports team, and
- How technology is only one of many solutions available when creating a culture of fitness and performance awareness.
These experts will include sports team coaches, health and safety managers from industry, human performance trainers from the military, along with engineers, data scientists, and wearable and human performance technology experts. Combining practitioner experience with applied research across all sectors is the foundation from which Athlete Engineering was built.
“Building from the discussion at the 2022 summit about the importance of being multilingual, we want the 2023 event to highlight what many of us in the human performance space suspect: we are all solving variations of the same problem. Determining the measure of success is the main difference and that difference is based on where we work,” Associate Director of Human Factors & Athlete Engineering at CAVS and Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Reuben Burch said. “When we use the term multilingual at Athlete Engineering, we are saying that our engineers understand what strength coaches are asking for. We know how to talk to the Air Force about test flights, to industry about repetitive motion tasks, to the medical center about telehealth technology challenges, and to academics about writing winning grant narratives. We want to grow beyond being a multilingual research team to being the team who teaches human performance experts across all sectors how to communicate with each other. At the 2023 Athlete Engineering Summit, we will move past simply being interpreters to becoming the venue where everyone walks away speaking the same language.”
The summit will feature discussions focusing on how concepts, cultures, technologies, and different courses offered in the Athlete Engineering Certificate program can bring impact to the four athlete personas: sports, industry, tactical, and at-risk athletes. In addition to nationally-recognized keynote speakers and panels of experts, attendees will have ample opportunity to network with professionals, enjoy delicious food, and see human performance technology in action.
| Limited Special Dinner Event – Tuesday, May 9th at 5pm – 9pm at Dudy Noble Field. Tickets to be purchased separately from the summit registration on the registration page. $75 per ticket includes food, drinks, a ticket to attend the MSU-Memphis baseball game, and an armband for tailgate and stadium access. |
| PRE-EVENTS | Tuesday, May 9, 2023 |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | MEETING: Tactical Athlete Leadership Board (TALB) – Annual in person meeting hosted by Kevin Forbes (Booz | Allen | Hamilton) TALB members may select this free option to attend when registering for the AE Summit. This meeting will be hosted at The Communiversity (the same location as the AE Summit). |
| 12:00 – 4:00 | FREE WORKSHOP: Wearable technologies, data management, and data analytics on human performance – Dr. Mark Derriso (Air Force Research Laboratory) Learn from the Chief Engineer of Human Performance of the Air Force Research Laboratory regarding the steps the Air Force is taking to utilize wearable technologies and data for research and operational purposes to enhance human performance. All current and future users of wearable technology at large installations will benefit from this workshop. Anyone may attend this free workshop. Attendees can select this free option when registering for the AE Summit. This meeting will be hosted at The Communiversity (the same location as the AE Summit). |
| 4:00 – 5:00 | OPTIONAL LAB TOUR: Athlete Engineering Research Lab Walkthrough – David Saucier (Mississippi State University) For all of our partners who come to town and would like to see where the Athlete Engineering research takes place, please join us for a lab tour and demonstration of our capabilities. The lab will be open after the free workshop and before the MSU baseball game begins. Please notify Reuben Burch if you would be interested in a tour of the lab (burch@ise.msstate.edu). |
| 5:00 – 9:00 | NETWORKING EVENT: Baseball special dinner event at Dudy Noble Field on MSU campus Located in a tent outside the stadium on the northwest corner of Dudy Noble (see the Attending page for location details). Please park in or near the Barnes and Nobles Parking lot and follow the signs and support staff to the event location. Join us for our big networking event at the Mississippi State University baseball stadium as the Bulldogs take on the Tigers of the University of Memphis. Food and drink will be provided as will access in out and of the stadium to watch the baseball game. Tickets are limited so sign up soon. Anyone may attend this special dinner event. Attendees may select to pay an additional $75 when registering for the AE Summit. |
| DAY 1 | Wednesday, May 10, 2023 |
| 8:30 – 9:30 | Registration and Networking Time |
| 9:30 – 10:00 | Day 1 Welcome and Conference Opening – Matt Wyatt, Dr. Julie Jordan, Dr. Scott Alsobrooks, & Dr. Reuben Burch |
| 10:00 – 10:50 | Day 1 Intro-Session – Dr. Bill Burgos (Mississippi State University), Dr. Ted Lambrinides (Pro Sports Consultant), & Dr. Megan Stewart (Milwaukee Brewers) – Military and Industry are Borrowing from Sports, How Can We All Speak the Same Human Performance Language? : Panel moderated by Dr. Reuben Burch (Mississippi State University) Attendees will learn from NFL, NBA, and MLB human performance experts regarding where similarities between all human athlete verticals begin and end. Across industry, military, and sports, people have been working diligently to solve the same problems. This panel will kickoff the discussion about how we can all learn from each other more effectively. |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Summit Keynote – Dr. James Reilly (NASA & Booz | Allen | Hamilton) – The Space Athlete: The Challenges of Human Performance on the International Space Station In this keynote, attendees will hear from a former NASA astronaut who was responsible for numerous missions both inside and outside of the International Space Station. This talk will cover the challenges experienced in space regarding health, safety, recovery, and the mindset needed to perform in the most hostile environment. |
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch and Networking Time |
| 1:00 – 1:50 | Breakout Sessions I sponsored by Booz | Allen | Hamilton |
| A (2127): | Jesse Wright (Balance the Bar) – A Multiplanar Model For Teams: What Can Biomechanics Teach Us About Collaboration & Communication? In this session, attendees will learn the details of a system that can enhance and evolve their current messaging approach amongst team members. Leaning on the biomechanical planes of motion as a reference point , an innovative model is presented that helps to define the high performance ecosystem and provide strategies to communicate effectively. |
| B (2124): | Dr. Phillip Desrochers & Dr. Bethany Bracken (Charles River Analytics) – Translating Human State Assessment to Ecologically Valid Settings This session will focus on translational science and what’s being done to move research out of the laboratory and into field-based work. Attendees will learn about analytics, hardware, software, user interfaces, and other components needed to build human performance technology that survives the real world. |
| C: (2213) | Mark Ronay (Liquid Wire) – Meeting Workers Where They Are: Using AI Frameworks to Identify Assembler Movements from Data of Sensors Embedded in Worker Clothing Attendees will learn about simple AI frameworks used to pull “gestures” from sensor data and then match them up to best/worst known practices specific to the various things the human body is tasked with in various work environments. The thrust of the talk will be around wearable tech “meeting workers where they are” and “getting out of the way of the task” rather than forcing them into an artificial framework just for the sake of monitoring. |
| D: (2219) | Justin Foster (The Excelling Edge) – How to Integrate Neuorcognitive Technology into Athlete Training In this session, attendees will learn practical strategies for integrating neurocognitive technology to transform the way athletes and operators see, decide, and execute. |
| E: (2200) | Dr. Gregg Steinberg (Austin Peay State University) – Thriving Through the Storm: Using Key Emotional Strengths In Sport and Life In this session, attendees will learn the 5 key components to emotional toughness (Awareness, Confidence, Overcoming anxiety, Focus, and Motivation). Given in this session will be entertaining stories as well as simple but effective strategies so that attendees will be able to become emotionally tough for any situation in your life. |
| 2:00 – 2:50 | Day 1 Afternoon Keynote Sponsored by Ledsreact – Dr. Keith D’Amelio (Elite Performance Consultant) – Technology Integration in Sports: Useful tools or distracting gadgets – it depends With constant technology advancements and the increasing “pressure” to make sure a program is not seen as falling behind, attendees will learn how some human performance program managers have skipped a valuable step in the successful and sustainable integration of technology. |
| 3:00 – 3:50 | Breakout Sessions II sponsored by Booz | Allen | Hamilton |
| A (2127): | Dr. Ted Lambrinides (Pro Sports Consultant) – Professional Sports Teams Technology Selection Processes and Challenges Attendees in this session will learn from one of the primary consultants in the professional sports field regarding the process used to make human performance technology decisions as well as the hurdles technology implementers face in the pro athlete environments. |
| B (2124): | Dr. Mark Derriso (Air Force Research Laboratory) – Engineering Human Performance, Assessment and Management: an Athlete Engineering Certificate course review In this session, attendees will learn more about the Mississippi State University Athlete Engineering Certificate program. Dr. Derriso developed a novel methodology for assessing human performance and readiness applicable for military personnel and athletes. This talk will highlight the course he teaches for the Athlete Engineering Certificate program. |
| C: (2213) | Brock Anderson (Ergo-ology) – Sport vs. Industrial Athlete: Physical Demands and Successful Risk Control Methodologies Attendees of this session will learn how Industrial professionals turned to Olympic competition and professional sports to redefine the definition of front-line associates. The phrase “industrial athletes” is a description born out of similarities in human performance and the stress-response generated by a physically demanding task. Yet, there are still enormous differences between today’s finely tuned athletes and the broad mix of employees who occupy the workaday world. While athletic coaches and corporate health professionals share a common goal, maximizing performance and minimizing injury, they take two very different approaches based on the similarities and differences in each athlete’s environment and task requirements. This presentation will compare and contrast these two settings and uncover best practices to managing risk and improving performance, all while pointing out several practices in one setting may not be advantageous in the other. |
| D: (2219) | Cara Dienst (Booz | Allen | Hamilton) – Beg, Borrow, or Steal: Location Data, Cybersecurity, and the Future of Algorithmic Warfare This session will discuss the Department of Defense (DoD) ban on the use of certain wearable devices in operational areas. Attendees will learn about the underlying problems of using wearables in tactical athlete settings due to privacy and security concerns. |
| E: (2200) | Jesse Wright, (Balance The Bar), Dr. Joe Bielitzki (Arteria Technology), & Craig Gile (CoolMitt) – Thermoregulation Advances: Unlocking Performance Potential: Panel moderated by Dr. Adam Petway (University of Louisville) In this session, attendees will hear former DARPA Program Manager Joe Bielitzki, former Director of Performance Science of the Philadelphia 76ers Jesse Wright, and CoolMitt™ Founder Craig Gile discuss the transformative performance benefits athletes, military, and industrial workers can attain through leveraging glabrous skin surfaces. They will cover DARPA’s investment in vasocooling technology to accelerate the body’s natural ability to transfer heat. |
| 4:00 – 4:50 | Day 1 Closing Keynote – Spencer Tatum (Tatum Human Performance) – Let’s Talk About Center of Mass: Jon Rahm Did and He Just Won the Masters In this session, attendees will hear from the personal training of Jon Rahm, Spencer Tatum, and learn how he kept the focus on the center of mass to train the world’s most elite golfer in the sport today. |
| 4:50 – 5:10 | Day 1 Closing Remarks – Matt Wyatt |
| 5:30 – 9:00 | NETWORKING EVENT: Reception Social at MSU Football Stadium Gridiron Club Located through the main entrance in the north side of Davis Wade Football Stadium. Food & non-alcoholic drinks will be served for all attendees. Cash bar and music entertainment will be available. Please park in the Barnes & Noble north section of the parking lot. Enter the stadium at G-1 which is located at the north end-zone. |
| DAY 2 | Thursday, May 11, 2023 |
| 7:00 – 8:00 | Continental Breakfast and Networking Time |
| 8:00 – 8:45 | Day 2 Welcome and Conference Opening – Matt Wyatt, Zac Selmon, Erik Skaggs, Mark Ronay, & Reuben Burch |
| 9:00 – 9:50 | Day 2 Intro-session Sponsored by Booz | Allen | Hamilton – Munjeet Singh and Maryrose Blank (Booz | Allen | Hamilton), Kevin Forbes (Sports Innovation Lab), Lt Col Brenda Bustillos and Holly McClung (U.S. Army), & Dr. Meg Garvey (Nix Biosensors) – Human Performance and the Female Warfighter: Panel In this panel discussion, attendees will learn that female warfighters only make up 16% of the total force of the US military and represent an area of growth for recruitment efforts. But, despite increased investment in overall health and performance efforts, research on female-specific human performance is lacking. This panel will discuss these gaps in knowledge and how to fill them. |
| 10:00 – 10:50 | Day 2 Morning Keynote – Dave Bollwinkel (Chicago Bulls) – It’s All Greek To Me In this session, participants will cultivate the ability to look for common denominators in conversation through a focus on active listening skills. This session will engage all attendees in active participation to learn how to practice what they learn. |
| 11:00 – 11:50 | Breakout Sessions III sponsored by Booz | Allen | Hamilton |
| A (2127): | Dr. Adam McLean (Booz | Allen | Hamilton) – Measuring Fight/Flight/Freeze Response in Performance Environments: an Athlete Engineering Certificate course review In this session, attendees will learn more about the Mississippi State University Athlete Engineering Certificate program. Dr. McLean teaches a course on reactionary human responses in competitive and stress-induced environment. This talk will highlight the course he teaches for the Athlete Engineering Certificate program. |
| B (2124): | Angie Huskison (The Competitive Edge) – Dynamic Visual Skills: Training The Visual System To Enhance Human Performance In this session, attendees will learn the importance of training the visual system to enhance human performance by improving depth perception, focusing, peripheral awareness, and visual processing speed. |
| C: (2213) | Kevin Martin (The Quick Board) – Motor Learning: Increasing the likelihood of training transferring to the field In this session, attendees will learn how verbal cues impact whether an athlete is externally or internally focused, which significantly affects performance and rehab outcomes. |
| D: (2219) | Mona Bhuta (Innovative Sports Training, Inc) – An Introduction and Discussion Around the Different Motion Capture Technologies Attendees will have the opportunity to speak to one of the premier experts in motion capture (mocap) solutions about the different mocap technologies available (IMU’s, electromagnetic trackers, active markers, passive markers and markerless) as well as applications for which these technologies are used (with activity playbacks for the different application areas) and considerations when evaluating a motion capture system. |
| E: (2200) | Dr. Megan Stewart (Milwaukee Brewers) & Ethan Stewart (Oakland Athletics) – Sports Science: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Major League Baseball In this session, attendees will learn about sports science technology and how collaboration across departments is essential for the overall health and performance of baseball players. |
| 11:50 – 1:00 | Lunch and Networking Time |
| 1:00 – 1:10 | Speaker Introductions – Colonel Justin Grieve (Columbus Air Force Base) |
| 1:10 – 1:50 | Day 2 Midday Keynote – Dr. Mark Derriso (Air Force Research Laboratory) – How to “Engineer” and Manage Human Performance using Advanced Digital Technologies. Human performance is a term used frequently but lacks a universal definition. Many believe that elite performers are only born and cannot be developed. In this presentation a new methodology called “Theory of Operational Performance (TOP)” will be introduced for enhancing and sustaining human performance using proven scientific methods, advanced engineering principles and cutting-edge digital technologies. |
| 2:00 – 2:50 | Breakout Sessions IV sponsored by Booz | Allen | Hamilton |
| A (2127): | Dr. Bill Burgos (Mississippi State University) – Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) and Other Human Performance Classes from a Practitioner Perspective: an Athlete Engineering Certificate course review In this session, attendees will learn more about the Mississippi State University Athlete Engineering Certificate program as well as MSU’s approach to student-athlete NIL education. While Dr. Burgos will briefly cover the human performance courses offered to bring engineers into the health and safety world, most of the session will be spent speaking to the world-class NIL he has helped MSU Athletics create for all student-athletes. This course will eventually be part of the Athlete Engineering Certificate so that all people in human performance can successfully navigate this new landscape. |
| B (2124): | Kase Saylor & Travis Eliason (Southwest Research Institute) – Markerless Biomechanics: The Secret Sauce for Reducing the Risk of Injury and Optimizing Performance Attendees will hear from researches of the Southwest Research Institute as they present how the use of markerless biomechanics will allow users to take high performance programs to new levels. They will lead a conversation that includes optimizing physical performance at the individual level, early detection of potential injury risk factors, and more. |
| C: (2213) | Dr. Steve Grice, Dr. Yanbing Tang, Dr. Long Tian, Dr. Zack Gillen, & David Saucier (Mississippi State University) – Improving Athlete Performance through Machine Learning and sEMG Analysis In this session, attendees will learn about the utilization of machine learning technology, specifically anomaly detection and classification, to extract information from the surface electromyography (sEMG) signals of basketball players, and to apply this information to improve their athletic performance. |
| D: (2219) | Dr. Dave (Coach) Brunner (SAIC) – The SAIC Cognitive Testing Protocol Attendees will learn about SAIC’s Holistic Human Performance Program (H2P2) Cognitive Testing Protocol (CTP) and how it is a sustained performance test that incorporates several critical sub-elements applicable to technical and tactical training. Objective measurements of Visual Spatial Recognition, Working Memory, Longer-term Memory, and Visual Processing Speed are collected and combined with relevant physical and psychometric data to compile the Tactical Athlete Performance Profile (TAPP). This application was developed jointly by coaches of elite-level athletes and military practitioners. |
| E: (2200) | Wesley Barnett & Joel Totoro (Thorne) – Building an Interdisciplinary Nutrition Program in the High Performance Model In this session, attendees will learn about the needs for and truths of a nutrition program that can support athletes from all disciplines and sectors (such as industry and military) within a high performance model. |
| 3:00 – 3:50 | Day 2 Closing Keynote sponsored by Ledsreact – Ted Rath (Philadelphia Eagles) – Great Communication = Great Collaboration – Speaking the Language of Teamwork In this session, attendees with learn (1) simple strategies to increase communication among a team of professionals, (2) tips and examples of finding ways to work through potential issues within a professional sports setting, and (3) people first principles: become better at minimizing ego and benefit from the lessons of humility. |
| 3:50 – 4:20 | Summit Closing Remarks – Matt Wyatt |
