{"id":421831,"date":"2026-10-08T02:34:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T02:34:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/421831\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T02:34:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T02:34:27","slug":"30-years-strong-usfs-exercise-science-and-kinesiology-program-continues-to-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/421831\/","title":{"rendered":"30 years strong: USF\u2019s Exercise Science and Kinesiology program continues to grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

USF graduate Abby Friel began taking dance when she was around three years old, and
\n she was teaching it by the time she was 16. She had always been interested in the
\n body and how it moves, so when she began looking for just the right college major,
\n she found the perfect place in the USF College of Education\u2019s Exercise Science and
\n Kinesiology program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was surprised when I found this major,\u201d Friel said. \u201cI thought exercise was just
\n something people did for fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

USF students like Friel who are seeking a degree in Exercise Science and Kinesiology
\n are preparing to become fitness leaders, whether it be in exercise science, strength
\n training, health promotion or rehabilitation. Most are also planning to continue their
\n studies to prepare for careers as physical therapists, physician assistants, chiropractors
\n or occupational therapists.<\/p>\n

\"Vintage<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Vintage<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The program has grown and changed in the 30 years since it was established in 1996.
\n Founding faculty members include Professor Candi Ashley, who came to USF in 1996 after
\n graduating with a doctoral degree in exercise science in 1995, as well as Emeriti
\n Professor Lou Bowers, who had been teaching in the department since 1967, and was
\n at that time the department chair. Along with Diane Hall, Chuck Smith and Bob Beasley,
\n they began the wellness leadership and physical education program, which became Exercise
\n Science in 2006, and kinesiology was added in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe noticed that our graduates were getting jobs in training and wellness,\u201d Bowers
\n said of the program\u2019s impetus. \u201cWe believed in it enough and were willing to sacrifice
\n time and money to make it work and plan something innovative, exciting and interesting,
\n not only to students but also to faculty members.\u201d<\/p>\n

“We’re proud of the growth, we’re proud of our graduates, and we\u2019re proud of the relationship
\n that we have with our students,” Ashley said.<\/p>\n

According to Ashley, the change from wellness leadership was because the trend was
\n moving towards exercise science.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to move away from physical education, because that prepares teachers, and
\n that\u2019s not what we do,\u201d Ashley said. \u201cOur curriculum became more science-based.\u201d<\/p>\n

As new tools became available, the program added them to their labs and gyms, offering
\n students the experience of learning new ways to measure body mass index and metabolic
\n rates. Students are also provided many hands-on learning opportunities like the Integrated
\n Fitness Program, where students can work one-on-one with USF faculty and staff members
\n as personal trainers, or a course called Physical Activity in Diverse Populations,
\n where students go into the community and work with older adults in their fitness journeys.<\/p>\n

Friel, who graduated in the program in 2026, says she learned critical skills from
\n the hands-on nature of the program, especially regarding her ability to work with
\n the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe offered health assessments to the public on Fridays, and that experience really
\n helped prepare me for the job I do now,\u201d said Friel, who works as a corporate wellness
\n specialist for PowerDesign in St. Petersburg, where she does employee health assessments
\n and teaches fitness classes. \u201cThey do a great job of making sure students have the
\n tools to be comfortable assessing people\u2019s health, as well as talking to them about
\n it.\u201d<\/p>\n

All students are required to complete an internship during their last semester, and
\n students have landed time with dozens of organizations. One student interned at the
\n White House, while others found theirs at MacDill Air Force Base, and others with
\n local minor league sports teams or at one of a large variety of sites that offer practice
\n in corporate fitness, occupational and physical therapy clinics, cardiac rehab, and
\n personal training studios.<\/p>\n

Amanda Walford, a junior from Wesley Chapel, says she found her calling after coming
\n to USF.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a coach who inspired me to want to coach others, so I thought I would be an
\n athletic trainer, but when I transferred to USF, I switched to this program because
\n it broadened my scope of career opportunities, and here I found chiropractic medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walford says that through the program, she has been visiting several sites to explore
\n internship opportunities for her upcoming final semester in the spring of 2027. She
\n wants to go to chiropractic school after graduating, so she plans to land her internship
\n with a chiropractic clinic and has already begun shadowing some different doctors.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing different views of the same profession is a great opportunity,\u201d Walford said.
\n \u201cIn my classes, I\u2019ve learned about different therapies that are used along with traditional
\n adjustments, like acupuncture and redlight therapies, so I\u2019m looking for a chiropractic
\n office that has an open view of what a chiropractor can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program prides itself on keeping class sizes small, in spite of the impressive
\n number of students who join year after year. Friel said this was a huge plus for her.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a little daunting for me to leave home and move 12 hours away to come to USF,
\n but mine was such a small cohort, and we all soon knew each other,\u201d Friel said. \u201cOur
\n professors really tried to get to know us personally, too, and they were always available
\n to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walford, an officer in the Exercise Science and Kinesiology Club, says their group
\n seeks to develop that sense of belonging.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really think this program does a great job of making a community,\u201d she said. \u201cWe
\n try to get everyone to be close and form connections. I applaud the professors, too,
\n because they encourage us to feel appreciated and safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Student<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Working<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Students have opportunities to attend conferences and are also prepared to earn several
\n certifications through the program, including from the National Association of Sports
\n Medicine Corrective Exercise Certification, the American College of Sports Medicine,
\n as well as a number of personal training certifications.<\/p>\n

The program continues its growth today by working on becoming accredited by the National
\n Strength and Conditioning Association, which will allow students to earn a prestigious
\n certification.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist is one of the highest strength
\n and conditioning certifications you can have,\u201d Ashley said. \u201cStarting in 2028, they
\n will require accreditation from universities to allow their students to earn their
\n certification. We’re working to get accreditation so that our students can sit for
\n that exam.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashley says that, though they will always be looking for ways to make the program
\n better, she feels good about the work that has been done so far.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re proud of the growth, we’re proud of our graduates, and we\u2019re proud of the relationship
\n that we have with our students,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Bowers, who is now distinguished professor emeriti, shares that pride.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning, we were just feeling our way,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when the first students
\n arrived, the program took off right away and got a good perception in the community.
\n It\u2019s good to see it succeed and do so well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"first<\/p>\n

First place winners<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Dean Schneider and Department Chair Cobb-Roberts<\/p>\n

\"Hula<\/p>\n

Hula Hoop\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Second<\/p>\n

Second place winners<\/p>\n

To celebrate the 30th anniversay, the college hosted its first-ever Field Day, where
\n students, faculty, staff and alumni competed in a series of activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"USF graduate Abby Friel began taking dance when she was around three years old, and she was teaching…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":421832,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":["post-421831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tampa","tag-tampa","tag-tampa-headlines","tag-tampa-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421831"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421831\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/421832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}