Dr. Charlie Katica is an Associate Professor at Pacific Lutheran University. Dr. Katica served as Co-FAR during the 2020-2021 academic year before taking over as the full-time FAR for the Lutes in 2021-2022.
Dr. Katica received his Undergraduate and Master’s Degree from Central Washington University in 2002 and 2009, respectively. His Master’s Thesis assessed the effects of cooling and heat tolerance in structural firefighters. Following his work at Central Washington University, he then continued his education and received his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama where he examined cooling interventions and the effect on exercise capacity during heat stress.
Other research that he has conducted in the field of Thermoregulation has included: Pre-cooling and the effect on collegiate pitchers, Halftime cooling intervention for recreational soccer players, Cooling interventions for spinal cord injured wheelchair basketball players and the effect of pre-cooling on time trial paced cycling.
While finishing his doctoral degree, Dr. Katica was and assistant coach and eventually the head coach of the Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team at the University of Alabama (2010-2014).
Since moving to Tacoma, Dr. Katica has been the head coach of the Tacoma Titans Wheelchair Basketball Team (2015-2020) and has recently started a nonprofit (Rainier Adaptive Sports) and is the President of the Rainier Adaptive Sports Board of Directors to continue to provide sport opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities in the South Sound region.
