Matt Mills | Springfield College

Matt Mills

Matt Mills

Assistant Professor of Athletic Training / Program Director: Pre-Professional Athletic Training

Contact Info

Office

  • Room 107
    Athletic Training and Exercise Science Facilities
Matt Mills head shot
  • Doctor of Education, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 2024
  • Master of Arts, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C., 2014
  • Bachelor of Science, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Conn., 2011

Matt Mills teaches in the Athletic Training program in the areas of orthopedic evaluation and therapeutic interventions. He previously served on the faculty at Quinnipiac University, where he emphasized an interprofessional approach to health care education. He also worked at Stanford University as an associate athletic trainer and director of the post-graduate Athletic Training program while working with the men’s gymnastics and women’s rowing programs. Mills worked to develop and update the Stanford University concussion protocol in a large multi-disciplinary team, and he was responsible for revamping the post-graduate program, with a focus on personal development and human-centered design thinking. His research interests include head and spine injury, and the development of student performance and soft skills using technological solutions, specifically simulation.

Research Interests
  • Healthcare Simulation 
  • Educational Technology 
  • Concussion Evaluation and Treatment 
  • Critical Thinking 
  • Interprofessional Education
Courses Taught
  • Musculoskeletal Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Lower Extremity
  • Musculoskeletal Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Upper Extremity
  • Musculoskeletal Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of the Head, Neck, and Spine
  • Therapeutic Interventions
  • Clinical Practicum
Certifications and Memberships
  • Certified Athletic Trainer 
  • Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator 
  • Performance Enhancement Specialist 
  • NATA Master Preceptor Level 1 
  • Chesprocott Health Department Medical Reserve Corps Member
  • CAATE Site Visitor 
  • EATA Moyer Award Committee Chair (2020-2026) 
  • CAATE Peer Review Committee Member (2023-2026) 
  • D1 Representative on Professional Responsibilities in Athletic Training (2023-2028) 
  • Former Associate Athletic Trainer and Director of the Post-Graduate Athletic Training Program at Stanford University 
  • Former D1 Representative on FWATA College and University Athletic Trainer’s Committee 
  • Former California Athletic Trainers Association Legislative Action Team Member

Selected Works

Presentations

  • Mills, M., Schlabach, G., Cohen, D., (2024, June 26). Using CIRCA and LERPS to Guide Good and Right Decision-Making [Conference Session]: 75th National Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, New Orleans, LA, United States 
  • Mills, M. (2024, January 6). Lessons from Silicon Valley: Human-Centered Design for Athletic Training QI [Conference Session]: 76th EATA Annual Conference, Ledyard, CT, United States 
  • Mills, M. (2024, January 5). Using Learning Outcomes to Guide Simulation Mode Choices [Featured Presentation]: 76th EATA Annual Conference Educator Summit, Ledyard, CT, United States
  • Mills, M. (2023, June 23). When Nonspecific Low Back Pain Goes Sideways: Fibromyalgia in the College Student Athlete [Conference Session]: 74th National Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical Symposia & AT Expo, Indianapolis, IN, United States 
  • Mills, M (2023, May 23). Evidence-Based Concussion Assessment and Return to Life: An Update [Conference Session]: Rhode Island Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Symposium, Providence, RI, United States 
  • Mills, M. (2022, November 5). Use of an Unfolding Case Study to Facilitate Interprofessional Collaboration in Athletic Training and Athletic Counseling Students [Conference Session]: Athletic Training Educators Conference, Virtual 
  • Mills, M. (2022, October 20). Using an Unfolding Case Study to Facilitate Interprofessional Collaboration [Conference Session]: Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions Annual Conference, Long Beach, CA, United States 
  • Mills, M., (2022, June 30). Emerging Practice Settings for Athletic Trainers [Invited Panelist]: National Athletic Trainers’ Association Clinical Symposium & AT Expo Student Program: Philadelphia, PA, United States 
  • Mills, M., Winston, B (2021, October 20). Designing and Implementing Problem-Based Learning Techniques to Supplement Clinical Experiences [Conference Session]: Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions Annual Conference, Virtual 
  • Mills, M., Lewis M., (2020, January 12) Crisis of Confidence: What Confidence Means and What We Can Do to Improve It? [Conference Session]: EATA Annual Conference, Ledyard, CT, United States 
  • Mills M., Norkus S., (2020, January 10) VCOP and Video Journaling in Athletic Training Clinical Education [Conference Session]. EATA Annual Conference Educator Summit, Ledyard, CT, United States 
  • Mills, M (2016), Concussion Management for Athletic Trainers [Invited Guest Lecturer] Dublin City University Athletic Training Program, Dublin, Ireland

Publications

  • Mills, M., Ferdig, R. & Gandolfi, E. (2023). The Utility of Asynchronous Low-Fidelity Simulation for Student Self-Efficacy and Anxiety: A Preliminary Analysis. In E. Langran (Ed.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 569-573). New Orleans, LA, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved April 10, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/221911/
  • Mills, M. Winston, B (2021). Administering Interactive Simulations to Supplement Traditional Clinical Placements in C Ford. K Garza (Eds.) Updating and Innovating Health Professions Education: Post-Pandemic Perspectives. IGI Global
  • Mills, M., Frank, B., Goto, S., Blackburn, T., Cates, S., Clark, M., ... & Padua, D. (2015). Effect of restricted hip flexor muscle length on hip extensor muscle activity and lower extremity biomechanics in college‐aged female soccer players. International journal of sports physical therapy, 10(7), 946.