September 26, 2025
Washington, DC–The CAATE Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of its inaugural awards program, recognizing outstanding achievement in athletic training education. The awards honor individuals and programs that have demonstrated exceptional dedication to advancing the field through innovation and quality improvement.
Innovation Award Recipients
The Innovation Award recognizes programs that use strategic processes to identify, implement, and measure new initiatives that improve program quality or learner achievement.
This year's award recipient is the University of Houston Master of Athletic Training (MAT) Program for their submission titled “Integrating Artificial Intelligence Literacy into Athletic Training Education: Enhancing Student Preparedness through Chatbot-Driven Learning.”
This program was recognized for its remarkable creativity and leadership in advancing athletic training education. Their commitment to innovation and excellence reflects the CAATE Foundation's mission to foster continuous improvement across the profession.
Quality Improvement Award Recipient
The Quality Improvement Award recognizes programs that use a structured, data-driven process to evaluate systems and outcomes. This includes identifying areas for improvement, implementing measurable changes, and analyzing results to ensure progress toward established benchmarks.
This year's award recipients are:
- Gannon University’s Master of Athletic Training Program for their submission titled “Comprehensive Programmatic Redesign to Streamline and Improve Recruitment, Enrollment, and Retention.”
- Emory University's Residency of Athletic Training Program for their submission titled, “Applicant Recruitment Initiatives.”
These programs have shown exceptional dedication and leadership in advancing athletic training education. Their work exemplifies the CAATE Foundation’s commitment to promoting best practices and fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the profession. Please be aware that the CAATE Foundation awards do not serve as evidence of compliance with the CAATE standards and have no bearing on a program’s accreditation status.
The CAATE Foundation's mission is to act as a catalyst for advancing athletic training education by promoting quality improvement, innovation, diversity, and best practices for student recruitment. The new awards program was developed to support this mission by celebrating those who are making a significant impact on the field.