Meet the Visionary Team Behind Our Medical Innovations

Dr. Draper is a professor of athletic training in the department of Exercise Sciences at BYU. He was the head Athletic Trainer at Illinois Wesleyan University prior to his appointment at BYU in 1992. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Utah State, master’s at BYU and his doctorate at Northern Illinois University. He teaches Athletic Training (Sports Medicine) courses at the bachelor’s through doctoral levels with emphasis on diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries.

An avid researcher, Draper has 114 publications in scholarly journals. Eight of his publications have received national awards. He has delivered over 300 professional presentations (including seminars in China, Japan, Korea, Scotland and Brazil) and has received over $800,000 in external grants. Draper is the co-author of the textbook, “Therapeutic Modalities: The Art and The Science” which is in its 2nd edition. This is the top-selling textbook on therapeutic modalities in Draper’s field. He also has written 10 chapters in textbooks.

Draper’s awards include the 2014 NATA Hall of Fame, the 2014 RMATA Hall of Fame, the 2001 William G Clancy, MD Medal of Honor for Research. This is given to the top researcher of the NATA (National Athletic Trainer’s Association) each year (out of over 30,000 members). Draper was the 5th person ever to receive this honor. He was the inaugural recipient of the national Research to Reality award in 2001 and The College of Health and Human Performance Faculty Research Award in 1996. In June of 2009, Draper was awarded the Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer, and was pronounced as a Fellow of the NATA. In 2007 he was given the title of Honorary Research Professor by the Koriyama Institute of Health Sciences (Fukushima Japan). He was voted as the Educator of the Year in 2002 by the Utah Athletic Trainer’s Association. As a student, Draper earned the Eddie Wojecki Award for receiving the highest score in the nation of the NATA certification exam.

Dr. Wilk has been a physical therapist, researcher and educator for 29 years and is a leading authority in rehabilitation of sports injuries and orthopedic lesions. He is currently Associate Clinical Director for Champion Sports Medicine and Director of Rehabilitative Research at the American Sports Medicine Institute, both in Birmingham, AL, as well as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy Program at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Dr. Wilk is the Rehabilitation Consultant for the Tampa Bay Rays’ Baseball Team and has worked with professional baseball for 25 years. He has served as President of the Sports Section of the APTA and as Vice-President, Education Program Chairman and Editor of the Home Study Course for the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the APTA. (AOSSM)

Dr. Wilk has published more than 155 journal articles, 98 book chapters, has lectured at more than 685 professional and scientific meetings, and is on the review boards of seven journals. He has received numerous professional awards, including the APTA Catherine Worthingham Fellowship (the highest honor given to an APTA member), The Ron Peyton Award for career achievement from the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the APTA, and induction into the Sports Section TAB Blackburn Hall of Fame. Dr. Wilk received his physical therapy degree from Northwestern University Medical School and his DPT from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of HealthCare Professions.