NSCA Impact Award

Dr. B. Sue Graves is a sharecropper’s daughter, originally from Lexa, Arkansas. Her undergraduate and Master’s degrees were completed at Henderson State in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. She was a physical education and math major, initially. She taught and coached in the public school systems in Arkansas, Texas, and North Carolina for over seven years. She received her Doctorate in Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Her dissertation focused on female sport (scuba) divers. After graduation, she accepted the opportunity to teach scuba diving and manage the dive shop at Walker’s Cay, Bahamas. This experience led her to manage the 75-slip marina plus pursue other opportunities in the sportfishing industry until she was hired at Florida Atlantic University almost 30 years ago. She decided students were her primary focus in her teaching and other professional activities. Her NSCA membership started over 27 years ago. She has judged NSCA abstracts and grants as well as served on various committees, including currently on the Research Committee. She is also active with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), again remaining student-focused. She supports and mentors any student or other professional working toward further education or changing to that desired career path, especially in strength and conditioning.