Juliet Moore

Assistant Professor

Juliet Moore spent much of her life discovering her identity. She came out as transgender midway through her doctoral studies at the University of Southern California (USC), where, for the first time in her life, she felt truly accepted.

“Growing up in rural Tennessee in a hyper-conservative, evangelical Christian family, I was reserved and quiet,” she said. “It wasn’t until I began engaging with the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles and found a supportive environment that I began my transition in the fall of 2022.”

Now, Moore hopes to be a support system for students who are embarking on similar journeys. She is joining the University of Delaware College of Health Sciences as an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology. This fall, she’ll be teaching Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy & Physiology I.

Moore comes to UD from Santa Monica College in California, where she taught microbiology as an adjunct. She earned her Ph.D. in exercise physiology and her master’s in biomechanics from USC and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Ellison Medical Institute.

“I’m excited to meet new students and guide them,” she said. “In graduate school as a teaching assistant and at the community college level, those opportunities were somewhat limited, so I’m eager to have a bigger impact on the undergraduate population at UD, collaborate with faculty, and join LGBTQ+ community groups.”

Her love of teaching grew from her research and clinical experience working with patients on lupus research and fitness. While working as a research assistant at USC, she developed a passion for exercise to promote healthy aging.

“I gravitate toward the teaching aspects of research—helping students write abstracts and papers and presenting at conferences,” said Moore. “I want to teach my students to ask questions and not to be afraid when they don’t know the answers. I want them to be actively involved in their education—not just to learn facts—but learn how to find answers.”

At Santa Monica College, Moore became a trusted confidant for students—a role she hopes to continue at UD.

“I was the professor students came to when they were struggling academically or personally, and I’d help them troubleshoot,” she said. “Being a resource for my students is always my goal.”

To that end, Moore has a rainbow and the words “You are safe with me” in her email signature. She also plans to join the UD Pride Caucus.

“It can be difficult to find your people,” she said. “I want students to see that I support them, wherever their journey takes them.”

For fun, Moore and her wife are cinephiles who love watching movies. Currently, horror is their most-watched genre. She also loves disc golf and is excited to trade LA’s sunshine for East Coast seasons.

“We’re so excited to be on the East Coast and build our lives here,” she said.  

nicole Wilkins 

Associate Professor | Director of the Athletic Training program

When Nicole Wilkins first set foot on the University of Delaware’s campus, she felt something magical.

“It felt like I came home,” she said.

After years of trying to return to the East Coast — she spent summers in New Jersey with her grandmother — the opportunity to lead UD’s athletic training (AT) program opened up. Wilkins applied, was thrilled to be selected, and joined UD’s Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology as an associate professor and director of the athletic training program this fall, succeeding Bethany Wisthoff.

“There’s something special about UD,” said Wilkins. “The program has such a renowned reputation for producing strong athletic trainers, both clinically and in leadership positions.

“The creativity and drive of faculty I’ve met has been infectious; they’re ready to rock, and I’m excited to help steer the ship.”

Her entry into athletic training was as unexpected as her start in sports: competitive roller-skating, cheerleading, and a chance discovery of the profession in college. Wilkins earned her bachelor’s in kinesiology from the University of Texas-San Antonio, where she worked the NCCA Men’s Basketball March Madness Final Four. The competitive and prestigious role cemented her passion for athletic training. She went on to earn her master’s in AT from the University of Arkansas and her doctorate in education from the University of St. Augustine.

Her career has taken her from the sidelines at the University of Central Arkansas and St. Edward’s University in Texas to the University of Tulsa, where she worked as a clinical associate professor and director of clinical education for the AT program. Wilkins also taught internationally in the Middle East at the Jordan Athletic Therapy Association. She called her years on the field deeply rewarding.

“I worked with the St. Edward’s men’s soccer players from freshman to senior year, helping them through significant injuries over the years,” she said. “I got to know them so well, and it was such a full circle moment for me. When they graduated, I did too, as I prepared to teach full-time.”

This fall, Wilkins is teaching two classes, Fundamentals of Sports Health Care and Athletic Training Evidence-Based Practicum I, while leading the program through its year-long accreditation process. Her goals include strengthening UD’s strong AT alum network and expanding the program’s borders.

“I want to take engagement with that network and the community to the next level,” she said. “I also want to think about athletic training internationally and add a study abroad piece that would give our students a more global perspective so that they can see where this degree could take them beyond the traditional sense.”

In Tulsa, Wilkins touted herself as student-centered, a culture she’s bringing to UD.

“I want students to know that we have their best interests at heart,” she said. “I want them to come in confident – people want to be like us - and I will ensure our students have the best opportunities.”