Sam Searles is a second-year master’s student majoring in exercise physiology. She is originally from Portland, Oregon, but was raised as a proud Austin, Texas resident by 2 Canadian parents. Sam graduated with her Bachelor's of Science in Electronic Media & Mass Communication from Texas State University, where she then went and worked as a journalist in Tyler, Texas and Austin, Texas for 2 years, covering stories regarding Formula 1 racing, local news, and severe ice storms and tornadic threats.
After those two years in journalism, she came to Mississippi State to work under Dr. Gillen in the Resistance Exercise Performance (REP) Lab to research and understand why women are more likely to have knee injuries, and how to utilize strength training as a modality to potentially mitigate further knee injuries in the future.
Sam is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and loves helping people find their joy with movement, regardless of if it’s running, weight training, Pilates, or otherwise.