Baylor Professor Honored by Society of Weight-Training Injury Specialists

December 6, 2018
Darren Willoughby

Darryn Willoughby, Ph.D., professor of health, human performance and recreation and director of Baylor University's Exercise and Biochemical Nutrition Laboratory, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Weight-Training Injury Specialists.

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by Jessie Jilovec, student newswriter

WACO, Texas (Dec. 6, 2018) – Darryn Willoughby, Ph.D., professor of health, human performance and recreation in Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Weight-Training Injury Specialists (SWIS) for his professional contributions to the profession.

Willoughby, also director of the Exercise and Biochemical Nutrition Laboratory, said he was nominated by a group of highly respected colleagues in the field, then chosen for the award by the founder and president of the society.

His ability to teach and prepare students for work in the field, extensive number of relevant publications and presentations at national and international conferences advanced him to the level in which the nomination committee considered him to be one of the top scholars in his field.

“Baylor has provided me the spiritual, emotional, financial and administrative support to further enhance my career for SWIS to consider me to be deserving of this award,” Willoughby said.

Willoughby became interested in weight lifting while playing football in high school and college but wanted to increase his knowledge of physiological adaptation to exercise and the science behind weight lifting. This is one of the main reasons Willoughby went to graduate school and chose to study exercise physiology and nutritional biochemistry. He also is a competitive body builder.

Willoughby said he was unaware he won the award until it was announced at a board of directors meeting. He said he was humbled, honored and overwhelmed.

“There are way too many people to thank for receiving this award, those who have helped mentor and guide me along the way, as well as many of my undergraduate and graduate students who have also assisted me with my research,” he said. “However, the most important person is my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This award is not about me, but about all of those who have helped make this happen.”

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT THE ROBBINS COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES

The Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University was established in 2014, a result of identified priorities for strengthening the health sciences through Baylor’s strategic vision, Pro Futuris, which serves as a compass for the University’s future. The anchor academic units that form the new College – Communication Sciences and Disorders, Family and Consumer Sciences and Health, Human Performance and Recreation – share a common purpose: improving health and the quality of life. The College is working to create curricula that promote a team-based approach to patient care and establish interdisciplinary research collaborations to advance solutions for improving the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities. For more information visit www.baylor.edu/chhs.