Athletic training pioneer Dr. René Revis Shingles, M.S. ’86, joins Redbird Buzz
Dr. René Revis Shingles, M.S. ’86, has blazed a trail for women in athletic training. She earned a master’s degree from Illinois State University’s School of Kinesiology and Recreation and was the 13th Black woman in the U.S. to become a certified athletic trainer in 1987. Shingles worked as both a practitioner and educator over her more than 35 years in the field and was the first-ever African American woman to be inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 2018.
Shingles joins Redbird Buzz to discuss how she developed a passion for athletic training at Illinois State, how mentorship played a critical role in her career, and why educating future athletic trainers as a professor of athletic training became an important part of her journey. Shingles also shares her experience as an athletic trainer for Team USA in the 1996 Olympics, her approach to educating students in the classroom and on the job, and the importance of giving back.
Redbird Buzz is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Transcripts of each episode are available online at Alumni.IllinoisState.edu/Podcast.
Latest Campus News
- Indian and LGBTQIA+ Cultural Dinner: ALOK emphasizes that ‘joy is your birthright’ALOK shared their journey to self-discovery and living authentically with a sellout crowd of around 400 people during Illinois State University’s Indian and LGBTQIA+ Cultural Dinner.
- FirstWord: Spring 2025A message from University Marketing and Communications Executive Director Brian Beam, M.S. ’94, MBA ’10
- Behind the lens: New York Times photographer Todd Heisler ’94 captures history in the makingTodd Heisler ’94 is a New York Times staff photographer whose career has taken him all over the world with a press credential and a front row seat to history.
- Appetite for success: Entrepreneur builds community through foodVivian Kong Doctora ’96 is a community builder who connects people and culture through food.
- The lessons of Bangladesh: Dr. Ali Riaz gives voice to his native country as it fights for democracyDistinguished Professor Ali Riaz, an expert in South Asian politics, has been tapped to rewrite the constitution of his politically turbulent native country.
- ‘Rare opportunity’: Students ditch the classroom for the courtroom to learn about legal careersIllinois State students were among more than 200 people to pack a makeshift courtroom as the University hosted the Fourth Judicial District Appellate Court for oral arguments in the Bone Student Center's Prairie Room.