Sefton wins Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach for service to military, first responders

Two decades ago, JoEllen Sefton’s research focused primarily on athletic training — until she answered a phone call from an Army executive officer from Fort Benning (now Fort Moore). That phone call changed the trajectory of her career and body of work.

Lt. Col. Todd Burkhardt (Ret.) was a major who had been tasked with reducing musculoskeletal injuries in the 2-54 Infantry Training Battalion, and he found information online about Sefton’s work with athletic training. He reached out to see if she could assist. That connection formed what would become with the Warrior Athletic Training, or WAT, program at Fort Benning. The program grew from one battalion and three athletic trainers to 30 athletic trainers serving all five training brigades at Fort Benning across eight years. More than 860,000 soldiers in training and cadre were served, with more than 510,000 new injuries treated. The program saved 1,692,872 soldier training hours by reducing lost training time due to injury and saved the Army $30,518,419 in medical costs. It also fully funded master’s degrees for 85 graduate students.

Sefton, a professor in the Auburn University College of Education’s School of Kinesiology, has spent the past 18 years researching and developing solutions to problems faced by military personnel, police officers, firefighters, and first responders. That work recently earned her the prestigious Auburn University Award for Excellence in Faculty Outreach.

"Winning this award signifies the impact of research in the tactical athlete community — it's about transforming knowledge into action, inspiring collaboration, and demonstrating how scholarship can address real-world challenges,” Sefton said.

Out of the WAT, Sefton developed the Warrior Research Center, or WRC. Sefton was regularly encountering questions and problems that known research failed to address — specifically, applied, real-world research that involved tactical athletes in the development process.

The mission of the WRC is to assist the United States Armed Forces and to maximize readiness through improved warrior health and wellness, improved physical and technical performance, and innovative vehicles and equipment in order to fight and win in a complex world, in addition to improving health, wellness and performance for all tactical athletes enabling them to safely complete the occupational demands of their jobs while staying healthy and safe. This is achieved by encouraging collaborations within Auburn University and with local, federal and state government, business and industry, as well as improving the national recognition of Auburn’s research capabilities. 

“As a 38-year U.S. Army veteran, I understand the need and mission of JoEllen’s research and outreach efforts. Her passion and concern for the tactical athlete is the driving force for her efforts to improve performance while reducing injury and improving health and wellness of our military, police, firefighters and first responders,” said Ronald L. Burgess, Jr., U.S. Army Lt. Gen. (Ret) and executive vice president emeritus of Auburn University. “Many U.S. Army senior leaders value JoEllen’s experience and expertise and have sought out her assistance in resolving some of their greatest challenges in ensuring safe training for our soldiers during times of war.”

While much of Sefton’s work is with the armed forces, she also dedicates immense time to police, fire and first responders, as the problems and needs of tactical athletes can be very similar. However, Sefton knows the solutions to those problems need to be tailored to the individual work being done — including the mission and equipment required. She has worked alongside the City of Auburn’s fire and police departments for more than a decade. The Warrior Research Center team has researched the impact of fitness on physiological response to heat, exercise and fitness habits in firefighters, the impact of heat on cognitive factors that impact decision making and on biomechanics that influence injury.

John Lankford, fire chief for the Auburn Fire Department, said the studies he has completed with the Warrior Research Center have contributed to enhancing his knowledge and understanding of the relationship between environmental and physiological factors affecting firefighter performance and health.

“One significant collaboration was the thermal threshold and rehabilitation study, where we examined the cognitive, physiological and psychomotor effects of heat on firefighters,” Lankford said. “The outcomes of this study have not only shed light on the impact of heat on our firefighters but have also informed our rehabilitation efforts, ensuring the well-being and performance of our personnel.”

Several years ago, the Auburn Police Department reached out to the School of Kinesiology to inquire about the development of a holistic officer wellness program. The result of that inquiry was the initiation of an ongoing, multi-year research project headed by Sefton. 

“Dr. Sefton quickly began setting meetings with appropriate police department personnel to learn more about our current physical fitness standards, gym facilities, exercise routines, shift schedules, ‘on-shift’ diet and nutrition standards, and mental health and mindfulness support structures,” said Auburn Police Department Assistant Chief Michael Harris. “Dr. Sefton and several of her team members conducted ‘ride-alongs’ with police officers to get a better perspective regarding daily activities.”

The impacts so far have been noteworthy: a yearly health screening program has been developed, officers were given individualized fitness assessments, and all sworn personnel have received educational briefings on nutrition, fitness, flexibility, sleep, overall wellness and mindfulness. 

“The diligent work carried out by Dr. Sefton has benefited the forces and first responders who safeguard and serve our nation and communities,” said Mary Rudisill, director of the School of Kinesiology. “Her unwavering commitment to scholarly outreach has resulted in a profound influence.” 

Sefton’s body of work helps the School of Kinesiology fulfill its mission to improve the health of society through research, outreach, and teaching. Students from across the country come to Auburn University to work with Sefton and the tactical athlete population because they cannot get those experiences elsewhere. And, Sefton’s goal is to empower her students to conduct meaningful research that is interesting to them while benefitting the greater good.

"The success of outreach research lies in the strength of the team — each member brings unique insights and skills, turning individual ideas into powerful collaborations that drive meaningful change for the tactical populations we serve,” Sefton said.

Sefton’s work has garnered more than $12,973,481 in grants and contracts to propel and sustain the work she oversees — resources that afford her and her students’ invaluable opportunities to make a difference, while also providing pivotal learning and job prospects for her students.

“We are proud of Dr. Sefton for being selected as the recipient of the Award for Faculty Outreach,” said Jeffrey Fairbrother, dean and Wayne T. Smith Distinguished Professor of Auburn's College of Education. “This honor affirms the commitment she has made to serving the military, police, firefighters and first responders, and her work has certainly served not just our community, but our country.” 

Sefton and the WRC are currently beginning a new human performance and wellness program with Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base. BOLT will provide fitness and wellness screenings for 500-1,000 airmen attending Air University at the beginning and end of their 10-month course work. The BOLT program is funded for $500,000 to start, with expectations of up to $500,000 in additional funding in the next fiscal year. BOLT is funding four doctoral students, three master’s students, two post-doctoral researchers and several faculty.