ATLANTA – Mercer University’s College of Professional Advancement will launch its Scholarship of Sport Speaker Series on Nov. 9, with the opening session taking place from 5-7 p.m. in the Atlanta Administration and Conference Center Auditorium on the Cecil B. Day Campus.
“The new series will feature leaders from various disciplines within sports reflecting on their experiences and sharing their insights. Each session will result in a call to action designed to create opportunities for students and other attendees to engage with one another in the scholarship of teaching, discovering knowledge, integrating knowledge and applying knowledge related to the topics that affect the mental health and wellness of athletes and sport personnel,” said Dr. Caroline Brackette, associate professor of counseling and coordinator of the speaker series.
Online registration is required for the opening session, which is free and open to the public. The event will include an interactive component, providing an opportunity to join in conversation with speaker Dr. Nyaka NiiLampti.
“I am enthusiastic about the new series and about the research and opportunities for application our speakers will suggest to students and faculty who attend,” said Dr. Priscilla Danheiser, dean of the College of Professional Advancement.
Dr. NiiLampti serves as vice president of wellness and clinical services for the National Football League and is responsible for implementing and expanding the Total Wellness platform of the NFL, ensuring a holistic approach to the care of players and members of the NFL family.
Dr. NiiLampti is a licensed psychologist with 20 years of clinical experience and has worked extensively with organizations, sports teams, individuals and families in a variety of settings, including community mental health, college counseling centers and in private practice.
She most recently served as director of player wellness for the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), where she focused on providing resources and educating players on all aspects of wellness and served as an advocate for players by ensuring their rights are protected under the NFL drug policies.
Before joining the NFLPA, Dr. NiiLampti was a tenure-track assistant professor of psychology at Queens University of Charlotte, where she taught undergraduate courses in multiple areas and served as the faculty athletic representative to the NCAA.
During that time, she also provided comprehensive services in private practice, focused primarily on athlete well-being and performance-related concerns, as well as serving as a treating clinician for the NFL Program for Substances of Abuse and as an approved clinician for the NBA/NBPA Player Assistance/Anti-Drug Program.
Her research interests focus on multiculturalism and mental health, particularly as those concepts relate to issues of resiliency and success, and she has provided local and national trainings, workshops and lectures on a variety of topics, including aspects of cultural diversity and identity, athletes and mental health, and student-athlete transition.
A former track and field college student-athlete, Dr. NiiLampti earned her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, M.A. with a concentration in sport psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Ph.D. from Temple University.
About the College of Professional Advancement
Mercer University’s College of Professional Advancement is committed to serving post-traditional learners. Undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs are offered to adult learners seeking professional advancement into leadership roles in and beyond their communities. Programs provide students with distinctive, multidisciplinary experiences that integrate theory and practice. In addition to providing general education and elective courses for various colleges and schools at Mercer, the College of Professional Advancement offers degree programs in areas including technology, public safety, public and human services, leadership and administration, health care and liberal arts. Programs are offered on Mercer’s campuses in Atlanta and Macon, as well as Regional Academic Centers in Douglas County and Henry County, and online. To learn more, visit professionaladvancement.mercer.edu.
