Dr. Willingham began his journey into Sports Nutrition by volunteering in the Sports Nutrition office while earning his bachelor’s degree in ‘Nutrition and Dietetics,’ from the University of Florida. Following this, he attended Auburn University. While there, he continued volunteering in the Sports Nutrition office and completed his dietetic internship while seeking a master’s degree in ‘Human Nutrition’. Afterward, he continued to gain experience with athletes by working briefly as a Sports Dietitian for his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Florida.

At this point, he decided to pursue a Doctorate in ‘Exercise Physiology’ at Florida State University, working under Dr. Ormsbee. During his doctoral studies, he researched and published on many topics, including Thermoregulation and Hydration, Sports Supplements for Athletes, and Ultra-endurance performance. Upon graduation, he became an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology for Coastal Carolina University and began researching Low Energy Availability in Female Athletes. While there, he worked with the collegiate beach volleyball team as a Volunteer Assistant Coach and Sports Dietitian, seeing this team to the best year in program history. After a lovely three years in this role, he followed his passion for teaching to the Exercise Science Program at the University of South Florida, where he joined the team in the Fall of 2024 as an Assistant Professor of Instruction.