Bridgewater College professor elected CAATE Commissioner

Dr. Barbara H. Long, an associate professor of health and human sciences and division head of the division of professional studies at Bridgewater College, has been elected to the post of commissioner by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

Dr. Long will begin her duties in August 2017, although she will attend the February CAATE meeting as an observer. She will hold the position for at least three years, with a possibility of renewal for up to six years’ service.

Among the duties of the CAATE commission is to develop standards for athletic training accreditation, act on accreditation requests and issues and assure the public that accredited institutions meet minimal quality assurance standards. A spokesman for CAATE noted that Dr. Long’s interest in serving as a commissioner centered on a commitment to transparent dialogue with all stakeholders, and a focus on both current and future needs of the profession of athletic training.

“Being elected as a CAATE commissioner is an honor and allows me to provide a voice for programs, like Bridgewater’s, that are small, yet develop outstanding clinicians in the athletic training profession,” said Dr. Long. “To be selected by the majority of program directors across the country as a Commissioner is humbling and a tribute to the name that Bridgewater College has for being a strong athletic training program.”

Long, who graduated from Bridgewater College in 1988 with a degree in biology, earned her master’s degree in sports medicine and fitness management from the United States Sports Academy and her Ed.D. in organizational leadership from Shenandoah University. She was certified by the Board of Certification as an athletic trainer in 1989 and licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine as an athletic trainer in 2002.

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to nearly 1,900 undergraduate students.