Our Speakers
Dr. Kate Ackerman
Keynote Speaker
Director, Co-Founder & President, WHSP Institute
Kathryn (Kate) Ackerman, MD, MPH, FACSM is the co-founder and Director of the Women’s Health, Sports & Performance (WHSP) Institute and the Biennial International Female Athlete Conference, a physician scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is triple board-certified in Internal Medicine; Sports Medicine; and Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism.
A former US national team rower, Dr. Ackerman is the Chief Medical Officer of USRowing; co-chairs the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Women’s Health Task Force; is a member of the World Rowing Medical Commission, the Women’s Tennis Association Women’s Health Taskforce, and National Women’s Soccer League Health Advisory Council. She is a Deputy Editor of the British Journal of Sports Medicine and a member of the National Leadership Council for the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, a $220M initiative to improve health and performance globally.
Her research focuses on female athlete health and the various aspects of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). She has authored/co-authored over 175 articles and book chapters related to sports medicine, endocrinology, rowing, bone metabolism, and female athletes, including position statements with the International Olympic Committee.
Ackerman earned her BA from Cornell University, MD from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health, and completed her residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her sports medicine fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital, endocrinology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as further research training in the Neuroendocrine Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Bebe Bryans
Former Junior National Team and Division I Collegiate Coach
Throughout her coaching career, Bebe transformed programs and created opportunities for generations of athletes. She was a founder of the Pacific Rowing Club, coached at Mills College, and led Georgetown’s V8 to the 1st NCAA Championships. At Michigan State, she built a foundation of excellence that led the Spartans to six consecutive NCAA appearances. At the University of Wisconsin, she established one of the nation’s premier women’s rowing programs, leading the Badgers to their only Big Ten title, their best-ever NCAA championship finishes, and 15 NCAA appearances. Her leadership helped develop countless athletes into National Team members and Olympians, leaving a legacy that continues to shape the program and the sport.
Bebe’s impact extends far beyond collegiate rowing. As head coach of the U.S. Junior Women’s National Rowing Team, she helped lay the foundation for the U19 national team pathway we know today, including guiding the 1992 junior women’s eight to the United States’ first medal at the World Rowing Junior Championships. Her service on the United States Women’s Olympic Rowing Committee and her coaching at the international level further demonstrate her lifelong commitment to advancing opportunities and excellence in women’s rowing.
Since retiring from coaching, Bebe has continued to give back to the sport as a passionate advocate and trusted voice, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with new generations of rowers and fans. Her influence as a coach and mentor is reflected in the success of the many athletes she has guided, both on and off the water.
Joe DeLeo
Cofounder and Lead Author, Science of Rowing
PhD Student of Exercise Physiology at University of Kansas
Joe is a lifelong rower who has been involved with the sport since age 12. Joe was a varsity oarsman at The George Washington University, and was named team MVP his senior year. He then spent the next three years as the graduate assistant coach for Syracuse Men’s Rowing under Head Coach Dave Reischman. Joe launched his business, LEO Training in 2014. Since then, Joe has consulted with junior, collegiate, masters, and national team rowing programs, as well as interviewed hundreds of rowers, rowing coaches, and strength coaches through the LEO Training podcast.
Joe moved to the Kansas City area in 2017 and worked three years as the strength and conditioning specialist for Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Joe served as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Portuguesa de Remo from 2018 to the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. During his tenure as Head S&C won a total of 10 international medals at World Cups and European Championships. The Portuguese LM2x qualified for the Tokyo Olympics and finished 13th. He has assisted with USRowing’s annual high-altitude training camps and provided strength and conditioning support to USRowing’s para rowers since November 2023 which recently resulted in a silver medal in the PR3 4+ at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Joe has also been a presenter at the USRowing Conference and Joy of Sculling Conference. Joe earned a Master of Science in Sports Performance with First Class Honors from the University of Limerick in 2021. He is currently a PhD student in Exercise Physiology at the University of Kansas under Dr. Andrew C. Fry and Dr. Kathryn Ackerman.
Stephen Eckstein joined the Duquesne rowing coaching staff prior to the 2019-20 season. Eckstein comes to The Bluff as an assistant coach by way of Penn State, where he served as head coach of the Nittany Lions' Crew Club.
Eckstein brings over 10 years of coaching experience, most recently in State College, where he led the Penn State Crew Club as head coach since 2017 after working as an assistant the previous season.
Prior to the Nittany Lions, Eckstein spent time as both head and assistant coach at Butler University in Indianapolis, mentoring both the men's and women's teams from 2013-16. He also coached at the Indianapolis Rowing Center during the summers of 2008-13.
Eckstein was a member of the rowing team at Purdue where he graduated in 2010 with a degree in applied meteorology. He served as an assistant coach for the Boilermakers' novice team during the 2009-10 season, as well.
Associate Head Coach & Recruiting Coordinator, Duquesne University
Stephen Eckstein
Eric Gehrke has experience coaching all levels and programs of rowing: international for the United States; collegiate for Oklahoma, GW, and USC; youth in Washington, DC, Saratoga, NY, Nashville, TN, and Oklahoma City OK; and Masters in Nashville, TN. Most notably Eric has coached crews to three medals at the Under-19 World Championships including a Gold in the Men's 8+ in 2021. He also helped achieve program-best finishes at both the IRA National Championships (GW Men) and the NCAA Championships (USC Women), and founded a youth program from scratch that earned multiple top-8 places at Youth Nationals within its first four years. Eric attended his first Joy of Sculling conference in 2008 and his favorite presentation ever was "Defining Your Coaching Language". He and his wife, Sarah, recently moved back to Saratoga with their three sons and three dogs.
Executive Director, Saratoga Rowing Association
Eric Gehrke
Sara Lopez
Professor Emeritus, UW College of Education
Former Director of the UW Center for Leadership in Athletics
Sara Lopez is a retired Teaching Professor from the Educational Foundation, Leadership and Policy Area. She served as the Academic Program Director for the Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership (IAL) M.Ed. at the University of Washington, oversaw the Leadership in Higher Education M.Ed. program and participated as a team member with the Center for Leadership in Athletics. Bringing an extensive background in sports administration and education, she completed her Ph.D. at the University of Washington in 2012 with a research focus on the professional preparation and continuing education of intercollegiate athletics coaches. Sara has been at the University of Washington since 2000, working initially with the DO-IT program (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) as a Program Manager. Her role with DO-IT was the implementation of outreach programs supporting the inclusion of students with disabilities in their transitions from high school and success in higher education academics.
Her undergraduate degree from PLU is in Secondary Education with a major in physical education and minors in special education and health. Sara previously worked for USRowing as a Regional Coordinator and then as Director of Rowing Services. Following two years in Atlanta as the Assistant Competition Manager for rowing at the 1996 Olympic Games, Sara returned to Seattle and worked to expand teams and competition events as a Region Director with Washington Special Olympics. After rowing as a student-athlete at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), Sara entered coaching and continued for over 35 years with various junior, collegiate and masters programs. Currently, she coaches Conibear Rowing Club, a competitive masters women’s team in Seattle.
Al Morrow
Coaching Educator
Former Canadian National Team Coach
Born in Hamilton, Ont., Al was a rower for 11 years before he became a coach. He rowed at his hometown Leander Boat Club, at Western University, University of British Columbia, and for the St. Catharines RC, and Burnaby Lk. He was a member of Canada’s national team 5x from 1970-76. Al’s coaching career began after the 1976 Olympics. He has presently in his 50th year of coaching. He coached for 2 years with the University of British Columbia and 8 years at the University of Victoria (UVic). Eighteen past or present UVic rowers were members of the 1984 Olympic team. In 1986, he was hired by Rowing Canada at the National Training Centre in Victoria, British Columbia and in 1988 he moved to Coach at the National Training Centre in London, Ontario. He became head coach of the women’s national team in 1990. From 1991 to 2003 his crews won a medal at every World Championships and the Olympics. He coached at nine Olympic Games from 1980 until 2016 and under his leadership, Canadian rowers won a combined 15 World Championships medals and eight Olympic medals (4 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze). Al has been inducted into 10 Sport Halls of Fame including the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and was named 1999 World Rowing (formerly FISA) Coach of the Year. He has always been passionate about Coaching education and over the years has mentored many coaches in both Canada and the US.
Asiya Mahmud
Head Coach of Women’s Rowing, University of Delaware
USRowing High Performance Coach
Asiya Mahmud is the Head Rowing Coach at the University of Delaware and a respected leader in the national rowing community. Since joining Delaware in 2024, she has led the Blue Hens to multiple CAA Boat of the Week honors, produced two All-Conference athletes, and set a program record with 13 CRCA Scholar-Athletes in her first season. Prior to Delaware, she spent eight years at Drexel University—her alma mater—where she helped guide the Dragons to consistent CAA podium finishes, 24 conference medals, 20 Dad Vail medals, and a win at the 2022 Head of the Charles.
On the international stage, Mahmud has played a key role with USRowing, most recently coaching the U23 Women’s Eight to a Gold medal at the 2025 World Championships. She previously led the Four with Coxswain to a gold meat the 2024 World Championships, bronze in 2022 and coached the U19 Women’s Four with Coxswain to gold at the 2021 World Championships. She also served as lead coach for the U.S. women's team at the 2023 CanAmMex Regatta, helping secure 14 medals, including eight gold.
Mahmud is a USRowing Level 3 High Performance certified coach and holds a Master of Legal Studies from Drexel’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law, with a concentration in NCAA compliance and sports law. Her coaching career spans the collegiate, high school, and club levels, and she is known for her athlete-centered leadership, program-building vision, and commitment to advancing women’s rowing.
Volker Nolte
World-renowned Rowing Expert, Coach, and Author
Dr. Volker Nolte is internationally recognized as one of the most influential figures in the sport of rowing, combining excellence as a coach, educator, researcher, author, and athlete. Born and educated in Germany, he earned diplomas in Physical Education and Civil Engineering before completing his PhD in Biomechanics at the German Sport University in Cologne. His academic and practical expertise has allowed him to bridge the gap between sport science and high-performance coaching throughout his distinguished career.
In 1993, Volker joined Western University, where he taught biomechanics, coaching, and sport performance while serving as Head Coach of the Western Mustangs Rowing program for 24 years. Under his leadership, Western became the most successful university rowing program in Canada, capturing numerous Ontario University Athletics and Canadian university championships, as well as the only Canadian university victory ever at the famous Henley Royal Regatta in England. His ability to develop athletes both on and off the water earned him widespread respect throughout the rowing community.
Beyond the university setting, Volker has made significant contributions to international rowing. He served as a coach with the Canadian National Team, helping athletes achieve success at the highest levels of competition, Volker coached teams at three Olympics and included World Championship medals and an Olympic silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. His expertise in rowing biomechanics, equipment design, and athlete development has influenced generations of coaches and rowers around the World.
A prolific author and sought-after speaker, Volker has written several landmark books, including Rowing Faster, Masters Rowing, and Rowing Science, which are widely regarded as essential resources for coaches and athletes. His presentations and workshops continue to shape best practices in rowing across multiple continents.
Now a Professor Emeritus at Western University, Volker remains deeply involved in the sport through coaching education, consulting, research, and competition as a masters athlete. His lifelong commitment to advancing rowing has left a lasting impact on the sport and inspired countless athletes and coaches worldwide.
David Schary
Director of Mental Health and Performance and Professor, Winthrop University Athletics
David Schary is a sport psychology professor at Winthrop University, where he also serves as Director of Mental Health and Performance for Winthrop Athletics. A former collegiate rower and coach, licensed mental health counselor, and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), he works with programs, coaches, and rowers at every level, from high school to elite, helping them build confidence, perform under pressure, and show up ready on race day. Learn more at davidschary.com.
Lily Siddall
Director of Rowing & Head Women's Rowing Coach, Tufts University
Lily Siddall is excited to be in her 10th year of coaching, having grown up in Belmont and started her rowing journey at CRI. Siddall’s passion for coaching started during her time at UMass, where she designed her own major focused on coaching and even participated in the Joy of Sculling conference while still in college. As a devoted student of the sport, Siddall believes in nurturing the whole athlete and supporting students both on and off the water. Her coaching philosophy centers on a holistic, joy-filled approach, and she looks forward to sharing her insights and experiences at the conference.