Assistant Professor Chris Gillespie (current Program Director for the Athletic Training Education Program) was inducted into the Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association (SEATA) Hall of Fame in March 2008 during the 33rd Annual SEATA Clinical Symposium and Members Meeting in Franklin, TN. Selection is based on contributions to SEATA and devotion to the profession. Gillespie has served at Samford since 1984 when he began his tenure as the Head Athletic Trainer for Samford Athletics. In 1999, Mr. Gillespie's role changed when he began to focus more on athletic training education and less on serving in the athletic training room. ESSM Department Chair, Dr. Alan Jung said, "We are proud of his accomplishments and fortunate to have someone with this amount of experience in the department. This translates into a good experience for the students in the classroom."