January 16, 2015

The below story is republished from Office of the VP for Research.

Since arriving at the University of South Carolina as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise Science (EXSC) in 2008, Dr. Michael Beets has had an amazing impact on the Arnold School of Public Health’s research related to physical activity and health. While his initial research efforts clearly defined him as a rising expert in the important area of promoting physical activity and healthy eating in school age children, he has unmistakably moved past the moniker of “rising” and is now an acknowledged international authority.

Evidence is clear, Beets, now an Associate Professor, has 18-refereed publications in 2014 alone, and is currently Principal Investigator on three prestigious, NIH-funded R01 research grants. These studies focus on reducing childhood obesity through innovative physical activity and healthy-eating interventions in programs outside regular school days. This work deals directly with existing community organizations that serve youth.  Beets has quickly established himself as an outstanding faculty member and an invaluable part of the Arnold School’s research mission. His novel discoveries will continue to impact the design and implementation of interventions, policies and practices that lead to improvements in children’s health.