Bud Cooper, EDD, ATC, CSCS

Clinical Professor and Clinical Education Coordinator, Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia

Bud is a Clinical Professor – Emeritus in the Kinesiology Department at The University of Georgia (UGA) where he retired in August 2024.  During his tenure at UGA, Bud has served as the Clinical Education Coordinator for the Master’s in Athletic Training Program and the Program Coordinator for the Master’s in Strength, Conditioning, and Fitness. Bud’s research interest is in Exertional Heat Illness (EHI) where he has received grant funding from the NCAA, NATAREF, The National Federation of High Schools and the Georgia High School Association.  Much of his work has centered on the effects of extreme environmental heat on football participants and because of his investigations, practice policy procedures have been modified and have had a significant impact on EHI rates.

Cooper also served as Chair for the “Exertional Heat Stroke Work Group (Washington DC) which is dedicated to raise awareness of exertional heat stroke.  Cooper is a past president of the Georgia Athletic Trainers Association and currently is a committee member on the Georgia High School Association Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, and the KSI Science and Medical Advisory Board.  Cooper has lectured both nationally and internationally on the topic of EHI and has numerous publications on this topic.

Cooper received his BS degree from the University of Pittsburgh where he was an all-conference sprinter on the track team, received an M.Ed. from the University of Houston and an Ed.D. from the University of Georgia with a focus on Epidemiology and Measurement.