History of Exercise Science Graduate Group
The Exercise Science Graduate Group (EXSGG) was established in 1999 and the first students entered the program in the fall of 1999. Though the EXSGG is relatively new, the graduate program has a long history at UC Davis.
The EXSGG evolved from a departmentally based graduate program in exercise science, formerly called Physical Education. The department was established in 1958 as part of the College of Letters and Science. A new building (Hickey Gym) was constructed in 1964 with a portion of the building designed for conducting teaching and research related to physical activity/exercise science. This was the first such laboratory complex within the UC system.
The laboratory was officially named the Human Performance Laboratory (HPL). The academic focus of the HPL was primarily in the areas of exercise physiology, biomechanics and sport psychology. A graduate masters degree program was formally established within the Department of Physical Education in 1966. During the late 1980s curricular changes were implemented creating a more rigorous academic program.
In the early 1990s the Department of Physical Education was renamed the Department of Exercise Science. The biological and interdisciplinary nature of the teaching and research focus of the department led to the transfer of the undergraduate and graduate programs to the College of Biological Sciences (CBS) in the late 1990s. Associated with this move was the formation of the Exercise Science Graduate Group. Graduate Groups are common on the UC Davis campus and were established to facilitate the development of interdisciplinary programs such as exercise science.
The EXSGG is administered through the Graduate Group Complex within the CBS. There are over 30 EXSGG faculty members representing interests in biology, physiology, human medicine, veterinary medicine, engineering, and nutrition. Research facilities now extend well beyond the HPL and include NMR, ergonomic, orthopaedic and clinical labs. The EXSGG continues to emphasize research and teaching in the areas of exercise physiology and biomechanics.
