Rate My Professor Shawn Arent

Shawn M. Arent, Ph.D., CSCS*D, FISSN, FACSM, FNAK, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Exercise Science at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, a role he assumed in 2019. Prior to this, he served for 17 years at Rutgers University as Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health and as Director of the Center for Health and Human Performance at the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health. Arent earned his B.A. in psychology from the University of Virginia, where he excelled in soccer, and subsequently obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees in exercise science from Arizona State University. Throughout his career, he has been a member of the U.S. Soccer national staff for 16 years, contributed to military performance nutrition summits and research funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, and collaborated with professional sports organizations including the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, U.S. Olympics and Paralympics Committee, and U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

Dr. Arent's research investigates the relationship between physical activity and stress, with emphasis on underlying endocrine mechanisms and biomarkers related to the HPA axis and inflammation. His work evaluates the efficacy of acute and chronic resistance training alongside nutritional interventions to improve functional capabilities, mental health, and systemic stress responses in athletes, military personnel, first responders, adolescents, and special populations. As Director of the USC Sport Science Lab, he has secured funding from the Department of Defense, United States Marine Corps, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Air Force, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and industry sources. Notable publications include the International Society of Sports Nutrition position stands 'International society of sports nutrition position stand: protein and exercise' (2017), 'International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance' (2021), and 'International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing' (2017), along with 'The athletic gut microbiota' (2020) and 'Physical activity: an underestimated investment in human capital?' (2013). Arent held the presidency of the International Society of Sports Nutrition from 2017 to 2020, chairs the Military Settings Sector of the National Physical Activity Plan, and serves as senior associate editor for exercise science journals. His honors encompass fellowships in the National Academy of Kinesiology (elected Active Fellow around 2020), American College of Sports Medicine, and International Society of Sports Nutrition; the William J. Kraemer Outstanding Sport Scientist of the Year from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (2017); Directors Award for Scientific Excellence from Rutgers University (2016); and Lifetime Achievement Award from the U.S. Army 3-314th Field Artillery Thunder Battalion (2016, first to a civilian). In 2025, he was elected to the Executive Board of the National Academy of Kinesiology as Member-at-Large.