Current News Releases
March 1, 2007
Ph.D. program in exercise science ranked tops in nation
The department of exercise science at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, which consistently ranks among the nation’s best, is No. 1 in a new ranking of doctoral programs at research universities.
The Ph.D. program in the university’s department of exercise science has earned the top ranking in “Kinesiology and Exercise Science” by Academic Analytics.
The 2005 Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index by Academic Analytics is based on journals and publications, citations of journal articles, research funding and other awards and honors. Academic Analytics used data from 2005 to assess the scholarly productivity of nearly 178,000 faculty in more than 7,290 doctoral programs at 354 universities.
Dr. Harris Pastides, vice president for research and health sciences and former dean of the Arnold School, said the ranking underscores the research strength of the department’s faculty.
“This comes as no surprise, as the Arnold School has been recognized regularly as one of the best in the nation for conducting research on physical activity and human health,” he said. “The exercise science department is at the core of this activity and has become even stronger recently by recruiting outstanding talent and having a brand new research building to work in.“
In recent years, the Ph.D. program in South Carolina’s department of exercise science has been ranked No. 8 in the nation by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education and in the nation’s Top 5 in a study by Texas A&M of publications, journals, citations and grant funding.
Dr. Larry Durstine, chairman of the department of exercise science, is president of the American College of Sports Medicine. Two other exercise-science faculty members -- Dr. Russ Pate and Dr. Steven Blair -- also have been president of this prestigious organization. The department of exercise science comprises faculty who are well-known regionally, nationally and internationally for their expertise in physical activity and health, as well as research in fields such as physical activity for children and teens, diabetes, lipids and fluid replacement and sports drinks.
Academic Analytics also posted top-10 rankings for other doctoral programs at the university: marine biology and biological oceanography, No. 6; clinical psychology, No. 8; physical oceanography, No. 8; and nuclear engineering, No. 10.
In 2006, South Carolina received the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s top research ranking. The foundation designated the university as a research institution of "very high research activity." In 2005 - 06, the university posted a record $173.3 million in federal, state and private funding.
To learn more about the Academic Analytics ranking, visit www.academicanalytics.com or http://chronicle.com/free/v53/i19/19a00801.htm at the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Visit http://www.sc.edu/research/ to learn more about USC research.
