The J. Pat Evans Research Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of the founders
of rodeo sports medicine in North America. The Board of Directors will appoint executive committees which will be composed of the leaders in the world of rodeo research, education and development.

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

Don Andrews - President, Secretary

The concept of sports medicine coverage for rodeo first appeared in 1979 during the Copenhagen Superstars competition in Fort Worth, Texas. Don had come to Texas as the Head Athletic Trainer with the New York Islanders’ development club after stints with the Toronto and Vancouver Hockey Organizations. He first got into professional sports while attending the University of Tennessee in Knoxville after playing hockey in Nashville where he grew up. Don co-founded the Justin Sportsmedicine Team in 1981 while employed as the Director of Sports Medicine Programs by the Medical School of the University of North Texas. Don designed and implemented the first mobile sports medicine center in North America which debuted at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, OK in 1982. The rodeo program grew from 11 events the first year to the 125 events per year the program covers now. In 1992 he designed the sports medicine coverage for the new Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Organization for friend and Four-time World Champion Bull Rider Tuff Hedeman. In 1998 the PBR Program was expanded to cover selected Challenger and Enterprise Tour Events. In 2003 Don introduced sports medicine to the Championship Bull Riding (CBR) Tour at the request of two of the organizations directors, stock contractor Terry Williams and businessman Joel Logan. He not only established the first sports medicine program in the sport of rodeo but he created the first sports medicine program in motorsports for the IndyCar World Series for open wheel race cars in 1985. The motorsports program was expanded in 1993 to include the NASCAR Winston Cup Series for stock cars and again in 2002 to cover the American Le Mans Series for world class sports cars. Don also created the first comprehensive sports medicine program for the U. S. Pro Ski Tour in 1987, providing on-site medical coverage for some of the best alpine ski racers from around the world. In 2006 Don established the J. Pat Evans Research Foundation to promote medical and scientific research, education and development to improve performance and safety for the sport of rodeo. Don is the Chief Executive Officer of Mobile Sports Medicine Systems, Inc. as well as the Executive Director of the J. Pat Evans Research Foundation, both headquartered in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and designed to ensure the continued development of sports medicine and science in rodeo and equestrian sports. He also serves as a board member of the International Council of Motorsport Sciences and the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund; two non-profit corporations he helped create in 1988 to benefit the participants of motor sport and rodeo.

Dexter Nelson - Treasurer 

Two years after Doctor Evans and Don Andrews co-founded the Justin Sportsmedicine Team in 1981. Dexter attended a Christmas social event with Don Johansen, a former Canadian Bull Riding Champion and a Board Member of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. At the time Nelson was the Head Athletic Therapist at the University of Calgary and Mr. Johansen asked him if he would be interested in providing a service, similar to the Justin Sportsmedicine Program, to the Professional Rodeo athletes in Canada? They agreed that it could be done and with the help of Ralph Murray and Keith Highland (Executive Director and Rodeo Administrator respectively) four rodeos were covered that first year. Since that humble beginning in 1983, the Canadian Pro Rodeo Sport Medicine Team has evolved and grown into the success it is today. Upon retiring from the CPRSMT after 25 years of leadership and service, Dexter is excited to be part of the J Pat Evans Research Foundation. Some of his professional experiences, awards and qualifications include a Master of Science degree in Physical Education/Athletic Training from Brigham Young University. Early in his career he worked as the Head Athletic Therapist with the Canadian National Men’s Basketball Team (1971-1975), the Edmonton Eskimo Football Club of the Canadian Football League (1974), Head Athletic Therapist and Instructor at the University of Calgary (1975-1983). Mr. Nelson moved to Mount Royal College in Calgary in the fall of 1983 and over the next 26 years was a Tenured Faculty Member and also served 4 years as Chair of the Department of Physical Education and Recreation Studies. He has served as President of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association and in 1997 was recognized with the CATA Hall of Fame Award and more recently as Member Emeritus. Dexter continues to serve the CATA as a member of the International Relations Committee, the Financial Advisory Committee and is a Founding Board Member of the Canadian College of Athletic Therapy. One of the highlights of Dexter’s career was being selected as the Chief Therapist for the Canadian Medical Team at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Another highlight is being awarded an Honorary Membership in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association in the United States. Currently he is serving as the Chair of the Board of Certification Task Force on Global Practice and Credentialing of Athletic Trainers and Therapists. Dexter and his wife Val have three grown children and live outside of Calgary, Alberta.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES

Jason P. Mihalk, PhD, CAT(C), ATC is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Dr. Mihalik completed his undergraduate studies at Concordia University (Montreal) in 2001 in Exercise Science with a Specialization in Athletic Therapy. In 2004, he received his Master's degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed his doctoral work in Human Movement Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in August 2009 where he was the recipient of the Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Caroline Royster Fellowship. Dr. Mihalik’s primary research interest involves the study of sport-related neurotraumatic injuries, with a particular emphasis on youth head and neck injury biomechanics. Dr. Mihalik has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles in respected sports medicine journals including Neurosurgery, Pediatrics, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, and the Journal of Athletic Training, to name a few. He has also been the funding recipient from a number of agencies including the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation, and USA Hockey Foundation. He has presented his research on state, regional, national, and international meetings. Dr. Mihalik serves on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association and is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). He serves on the editorial board for Athletic Training and Sport Health Care, and serves as the research director for the J. Pat Evans Research Foundation. He and his wife Johna live in Durham, NC. Jason is very interested in the welfare of the rodeo athlete, especially in head and spine injury prevention in this and all high risk sports. He is a member of the Carolina Junior Hurricanes organization, where he has served as an ice hockey coach and operates a youth concussion prevention initiative.

Jody Brucker - Chair, Education Committee

Jody B. Brucker PhD LAT ATC, is an Assistant Professor in the Athletic Training Division at the University of Northern Iowa at Cedar Falls, including directing the MS in AT Program and the Gross Anatomy Laboratory. He completed an AD in Athletic Therapy at Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta; a BS in Exercise Science at Fort Hays State University, KS; a MS in Athletic Training at The University of Ohio, OH; a PhD in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Brigham Young University, UT, and 6-years as an educator and assistant professor at Indiana State University, IN. During his teaching career he has taught a range of undergraduate and masters level sports medicine courses and mentored 55 students who presented topics at national and district symposiums. His published research focuses on various aspects of cryotherapy and he has also investigated different aspects of flexibility. Dr. Brucker also serves as a reviewer for 5 sports medicine journals. He served 2 years as the President of the Mount Royal College Rodeo Club and 2 years as the first full-time student athletic trainer for the Fort Hays State Rodeo Club. In addition, he has been the faculty mentor for various student groups and is currently the chair for both the District V - College/University Student Athletic Training Leadership Committee and Council, in addition to being the Iowa representative to the District V - NATA Research and Education Foundation. Dr. Brucker also serves the Board of Certification as a reviewer and the NATA Research and Education Foundation as a national Student Research Award Judge. Over the years, Jody has worked with various teams and individuals at the junior high and high school, Olympic, semi-professional, and professional levels, not to mention referees, coaches, stock contractors, rodeo clowns, chute bosses, and rodeo judges. Being raised in Calgary, a mutton bustin' competitor, possibly the best straw bale roper (only missing approx. 1% out of 500), Dr. Brucker is a handy guy to have around, both in and out of the arena.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Lewis Feild  -  All-round World Champion Cowboy

John Growney  -  Growney Brothers Rodeo Company

Jeff Hammond  -  NASCAR Champion Crew Chief

Tommy Keith  -  Supervisor of PRCA Officials 

David Pearson  -  Rodeo Tech

Bob Tallman  -  WNFR Rodeo Announcer

Marvin Witt   -  National Western Stock Show & Rodeo