Dr. David Szymanski, assistant professor of kinesiology and director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory at Louisiana Tech University, is a candidate for a member-at-large seat on the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) Board of Directors. New Board members will be elected during the NSCA’s National Conference, July 6-9 in Las Vegas.  The annual conference assembles top professionals in the fields of strength training and conditioning, personal training, performance research, education and sports medicine to attend educational presentations and hands-on training sessions conducted by industry-leading coaches and educators. “When envisioning the future of the NSCA as a world leader in the strength and conditioning field, as an organization, we must first ensure that the integrity of the organization is maintained,” said Szymanski.  “This is accomplished by promoting and disseminating research-based knowledge, education and its practical application to improve athletic performance and fitness.” Szymanski, who specializes in exercise physiology, was the 2008 recipient of Louisiana Tech’s Virgil Orr Undergraduate Junior Faculty Award and the College of Education’s Outstanding Faculty Research Award.  His research interests include baseball and batted-ball velocity, baseball and throwing velocity, sports performance, and body composition.  Szymanski will also serve as the Louisiana Tech University Senate’s 2011-2012 President. The NSCA is an international nonprofit educational association founded in 1978 that serves nearly 30,000 members in 52 countries. Drawing upon its vast network of members, the NSCA develops and presents the most advanced information regarding strength training and conditioning practices, injury prevention, and research findings. “The NSCA not only needs to provide information specific to strength and conditioning coaches and personal trainers, but also develop specific resources for clinicians, educators, media, general public, researchers, and students on its webpage,” Szymanski said.  “This would serve to attract a wider audience and increase the entities that are a part of or associated with the NSCA.” Central to its mission, the NSCA provides a bridge between the scientist in the laboratory and the practitioner in the field. By working to find practical applications for new research findings in the strength and conditioning field, the organization fosters the development of strength training and conditioning as a discipline and as a profession.