American College of Sports Medicine

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The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 20,000 international, national and regional members are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

Founded in 1954, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) promotes and integrates scientific research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health, and quality of life. The ACSM national headquarters moved to Indianapolis in 1984, joining organizations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Federation of State High School Associations, and national sport-specific governing bodies.

Members of ACSM work in a wide range of medical specialties, allied health professions, and scientific disciplines, and are committed to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sports-related injuries and the advancement of the science of exercise.

ACSM holds two major conferences each year, dedicated to continuing education for professionals: the Annual Meeting and the Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition. The 2008 Annual Meeting will be held in Indianapolis May 28-31; 2009 will be held in Seattle. The 2009 Health & Fitness Summit & Exposition will take place in Atlanta. Other meetings include roundtable specialty conferences, team physician courses, and regional chapter meetings.

The ACSM Foundation is the fundraising arm of the college. It actively seeks gifts from ACSM’s membership, as well as corporate sponsorship dollars. ACSM relies on the contributions of its members to further its mission. In addition to its fundraising activities, the Foundation maintains several endowments. Most of these endowments make cash awards each year in various areas of sports medicine and exercise science. Each year these endowments grow, fueled by the generosity and commitment of leaders in the study of sports medicine and exercise science. In total, nearly $100,000 in awards is made to ACSM members each year to support research. Many of these award recipients are young investigators making initial contributions to furthering science.

The ACSM Foundation established its Research and Grants program in 1989. The program began with one research initiative in basic and applied science, and awarded a total of $50,000 among five doctoral research students. In 2007, ACSM offered five research initiatives and awarded approximately $80,000 among 15 research students.

ACSM also serves as a certification agency for various health-and-fitness professionals, including certified personal trainers, health/fitness instructors, exercise specialists and registered clinical exercise physiologists. ACSM certifications are largely regarded as some of the most rigorous credentialing programs available today.

A listing of ACSM officers as of April 2008 is as follows. President: Robert E. Sallis, M.D., FACSM, Kaiser Permanente Center

President-elect: Melinda Millard-Stafford, Ph.D., FACSM, Georgia Institute of Technology

Immediate Past President: J. Larry Durstine, Ph.D., FACSM, University of South Carolina

Second Past President: Carl Foster, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse

First Vice Presidents: Patty Freedson, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Massachusetts
James M. Pivarnik, Ph.D., FACSM, Michigan State University

Second Vice Presidents: Tom Best, M.D., Ph.D., FACSM, The Ohio State Sports Medicine Center
Edward McFarland, M.D., FACSM, Johns Hopkins University Treasurer
Charlotte A. Tate, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Chicago-Illinois

ACSM Foundation President: Richard G. Israel, Ed.D., FACSM, Colorado State University

Trustees
Lawrence E. Armstrong, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Connecticut
David Bassett, Jr., Ph.D., FACSM, University of Tennessee
Michael Bergeron, Ph.D., FACSM, Medical College of Georgia
Ralph S. Bovard, M.D., FACSM, Regions Hospital – St. Paul, Minn.
Michael R. Bracko, Ed.D., FACSM, Institute for Hockey Research
Carol Ewing Garber, Ph.D., FACSM, Columbia University
Summer B. Cook, Student Trustee, Syracuse University
Sandra J. Hoffmann, M.D., FACSM, Idaho State University
Betsy Keller, Ph.D., FACSM, Chapter Trustee, Ithaca College
Benjamin D. Levine, M.D., FACSM, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
J. Timothy Lightfoot, Ph.D., FACSM, University of North Carolina –Charlotte
Melinda M. Manore Ph.D., FACSM, Oregon State University
Timothy R. McConnell, Ph.D., FACSM, Bloomsburg University
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., FACSM, Presidential Appointee, The Cooper Institute
Timothy I. Musch, Ph.D., FACSM, Kansas State University
Francis G. O'Connor, M.D., FACSM, Uniformed Services University
Margot Putukian, M.D., FACSM, Princeton University
Stephen Rice, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, FACSM, Jersey Shore Sports Medicine Center
Walter Rolph Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, Georgia State University
Alan C. Utter, Ph.D., FACSM, Appalachian State University
Dianne Ward, Ed.D., FACSM, University of North Carolina