Lorna Strong
Department Head
Assistant Professor
ATP Program Director
Office: Virgil Henson Activities Center 217
Email: lstrong@wtamu.edu
Phone: 806-651-2382
Professional Profile
Strong graduated from Rice University in 1990 with a B.A. in human performance health science with an emphasis in sports medicine. Upon graduation she worked in a rehabilitation clinic for one year. In 1993, she completed a M.S. degree in exercise science from the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) and was hired as the first full-time athletic trainer for the school. She remained at UCA for seven years and saw many milestones achieved to include state approval for an undergraduate major in athletic training and being appointed by the Governor to serve on the Arkansas State Athletic Training Committee from 1997 to 2000. In 2000, Strong joined the West Texas A&M University faculty as athletic training education program director. Since arriving she has been instrumental in the program, gaining approval of the athletic training major by the Texas Coordinating Board of Higher Education and accreditation of the athletic training program by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Strong began a doctoral program in Education Leadership at Lamar University in 2016 and graduated in 2018. Her dissertation was titled "Phenomenological Case Study of Cultural Competence in Practicing Athletic Trainers from One Texas Program".
Teaching and Related Service
Strong is actively involved in all aspects of the athletic training program (ATP), especially the classroom instruction and academic advising. She has been responsible for teaching almost every didactic course in the ATP. She represents the Department of Sports and Exercise Sciences on many college and university committees. She is active professionally in the Texas Panhandle Sports Medicine Society, the Texas State Athletic Trainers' Association, the Southwest Athletic Trainers' Association, the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the Board of Certification. Strong has leadership or committee experiences within the Panhandle Sports Medicine Society, the Southwest Athletic Trainers' Association and the Board of Certification. Strong was inducted into the Southwest Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Honor in 2023. Additional honors include the Southwest Athletic Trainers' Association 2015 and 2023 Eddie Wojecki Award, West Texas A&M 2013 Professional Service Award, College of Nursing and Health Sciences 2013 Service Excellence Award, National Athletic Trainers' Association 2012 Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer, Southwest Athletic Trainers' Association 2012 Most Distinguished Athletic Trainers, Southwest Athletic Trainers' Association 2010 Bobby Gunn Unsung Hero Award, the National Athletic Trainers' Association 2007 Athletic Trainer Service Award, College of Nursing and Health Sciences 2007 Dean's Award for Service Excellence and 2007 Faculty Development Grant. Additional awards have included the 2002 Top of Texas Athletic Trainer of the Year, 2002 and 2007 Faculty Development Grant and selected the 2003 Outstanding Professor Award for the Department of Sports and Exercise Sciences.
Research and Creative Activity
Strong's research interests include areas within athletic training and athletic training education. She has been published in Spine, Journal of Sport Physical Therapy, Journal of Sport Sciences, Journal of Higher Education Athletics & Innovation, Journal of Applied Biomechanics, and Leukemia Research. She has also presented at many local, district and national athletic training meetings.