Our Team

Dr. Joseph Kardouni is an Associate Professor in the Waters College of Health Professions and the Director of the Tactical and Occupational Performance Institute. Prior to arriving at Georgia Southern, Dr. Kardouni completed a career as a physical therapist in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. Dr. Kardouni’s career includes serving as the lead Action Officer for implementation of the Holistic Health and Fitness program across U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), the Director of Human Performance Optimization for XVIII Airborne Corps, a Research Director at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM), lead physical therapist for 3rd Special Forces Group, and multiple tours in support of combat operations in the Middle East. Dr. Kardouni’s clinical background is in orthopedic and sports physical therapy. His research focus is in health and human performance, and he has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in scientific and medical journals.

Emma Williams earned a Master of Science in Sports Medicine from Georgia Southern University, where her graduate research explored how same-day strength training influences jumping performance in youth volleyball athletes. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Oglethorpe University, with early research experience in genetic engineering. Emma currently serves as a Grant and Research Coordinator at the Tactical and Occupational Performance (TOP) Institute, where she is involved in motion analysis research aimed at improving performance and reducing injury risk in tactical athletes.

Richard Cleveland is an associate professor in the College of Education where he serves as Director of the Counselor Education MEd program for both Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and Professional School Counseling (PSC) degree concentrations. He also serves as a Mental Health/Resilience Researcher for the university’s Tactical & Occupational Performance (TOP) Institute. He is a nationally board-certified professional mental health counselor licensed in Georgia, holds Resilience Instructor credentialing through Georgia POST, holds a Mental Health First Aid instructor certification, and is a registered subject matter expert with the US Department of Justice CRI-TAC. His research, publications, and service have focused on mental health counseling, professional school counseling, tactical mindfulness and counseling interventions in high-stress environments with tactical operators.

Dr. Nancy Henderson is an Associate Professor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Georgia Southern University and a licensed physical therapist with more than 20 years of clinical experience serving military populations. She worked full-time for five years at Womack Army Medical Center and Winn Army Community Hospital before transitioning to PRN roles over the past 15 years across military-affiliated clinics serving Soldiers in the Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield communities. Her clinical work focuses on musculoskeletal rehabilitation, injury prevention, and return-to-duty outcomes.

Dr. Henderson’s research is centered on improving Soldier health, readiness, and performance through clinically meaningful, applied research. She has a strong interest in interdisciplinary collaborations that translate clinical research into practical solutions benefiting Service Members across healthcare and operational settings. She is Principal Investigator of a $1.29 million externally funded project examining educational models to improve Soldier medical readiness and serves as co-investigator on a multi-million-dollar Warfighter health and fitness initiative. She also leads the Soldier Athlete Human Performance Optimization Program and Tactical Athlete Certificate and serves in national leadership roles with the American Physical Therapy Association.

Dr. Jody Langdon is a Professor of Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University whose work centers on enhancing human performance through motivation science, coaching/teaching effectiveness, and applied sport psychology. A certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) and ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, Dr. Langdon’s research spans self‑determination theory, coach education, and the psychological and behavioral components of performance. She has collaborated extensively with athletic trainers, sport organizations, and interdisciplinary research teams, contributing to projects on concussion assessment, athlete readiness, and human performance optimization. Dr. Langdon is funded through national and institutional grants, including recent support for health and fitness initiatives benefitting military warfighters. She brings deep experience in teaching, applied consultation, and performance‑focused research to the Tactical and Occupational Performance Institute.

Emily Langford is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology at Georgia Southern University. Her scholarly work involves the occupational readiness of tactical operators, with a focus on firefighters and law enforcement officers. In this role, she has developed strong collaborations with state and regional agencies to promote the safety, health, and wellbeing of first responders. Dr. Langford also actively mentors students pursuing careers in similar fields. As an educator, she shares her expertise at both the graduate and undergraduate levels in a variety of subjects, including those related to exercise physiology and strength and conditioning.

Dr. Bridget Melton is a distinguished Professor of Exercise Science at Georgia Southern University, boasting over two decades of dedicated service to the field. With a focus on promoting physical activity among diverse populations, particularly within tactical contexts, Dr. Melton has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and delivered over 200 presentations worldwide. Her impact extends beyond academia, as evidenced by her collaborations with local and state fire and law enforcement agencies to enhance health and wellness outcomes. Notably, she has led groundbreaking initiatives, including a FEMA grant with the University of Kentucky to evaluate embedded providers in the fire service and collaborations with esteemed institutions such as the Georgia Public Safety Training Center and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Dr. Melton’s leadership extends to her affiliations with prominent organizations, including the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the National Association of Kinesiology in Higher Education.

Bryan Riemann is an internationally recognized expert (Scopus top 2%) in Neuromuscular Control and Clinical Biomechanics, serving as the Director of the Biodynamics and Human Performance Center at Georgia Southern University-Armstrong.   His research career has been dedicated to quantifying human movement patterns to identify musculoskeletal injury risk factors and provide evidence to support effective prevention and rehabilitation strategies.   As a prolific researcher, his extensive scholary output includes more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles, and 300 research presentations, alongside 50 invited keynote and symposia appearances worldwide.   Dr. Riemann’s expertise is specifically aligned with military and tactical operator health and performance, underscored by his appointment as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Faculty Research Fellow at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM).   His career is marked by excellence in both research and instruction, earning him several manuscript awards and the Kristina C. Brockmeier Faculty Award for Teaching. In addition to being named a National Athletic Trainers’ Association Fellow, he has served as the Waters Professor of Sports Medicine at Georgia Southern University since November 2021.

Dr. Sidney M. Stoddard is currently an Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy for Georgia Southern University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in Savannah, GA. Dr. Stoddard earned his undergraduate and Doctor of Physical Therapy degrees from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, and his Doctor of Education degree from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in St. Augustine, FL. Dr. Stoddard’s previous clinical experience includes practicing in the outpatient orthopedics and sports medicine settings with a focus on working with overhead athletes ranging from high school through professional levels and post-Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction rehabilitation. Dr. Stoddard’s clinical experience also includes working in the inpatient – acute care setting with a focus on critical care cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy. Dr. Stoddard’s areas of research include neurocognitive functional performance testing and cardiovascular disease prevalence in young adults. Dr. Stoddard has presented at local, state, and national conferences and has been published in various health and human performance journals.

Dr. Haley Worst received a Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy and Doctor of Education Degree from University of North Georgia, as well as her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Northeastern University. Dr. Worst has 21 years of clinical experience in a variety of orthopedic and sports physical therapy settings. She is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. Dr. Worst is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Federal Section, Academy of Education, Academy of Sports, and the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy. Dr. Worst has served on multiple committees and in leadership positions within the APTA at the state and national levels. She is currently an Associate Professor and Program Director at Georgia Southern and continues regular clinical practice. Dr. Worst is involved in numerous research projectsin the areas of orthopedics, tactical athlete performance, sports, and education.