Dr. Walt Thompson serves as the associate dean for graduate studies and research in the College of Education at Georgia State University. In this role, Thompson is responsible, in conjunction with other college administrators and faculty, for enhancing the college's programs and degrees in graduate education and the research programs and portfolio of externally funded projects.
Prior to joining the faculty at Georgia State University in 1994, Thompson was a tenured professor of exercise science and director of the Laboratory for Applied Physiology at the University of Southern Mississippi and served as program director for the Center for Cardiac Rehabilitation and Health Enhancement at Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, Ill. He has also held adjunct academic appointments at Northeastern Illinois University and at George Williams College.
Thompson, a Regents' Professor of Kinesiology and Health, is the executive director of After-School All-Stars Atlanta, a comprehensive after-school program for at-risk students in the metro-Atlanta area. He also serves as a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. His community service and scholarship have earned him the COE's Distinguished Faculty Service Award in 2006 and GSU's Exceptional Service Award in 2012.
Thompson has given lectures on health-related topics in 24 countries, published more than 100 research-based articles and written or edited 13 books, including the latest edition of the American College of Sports Medicine's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Since joining the faculty, he has received over $13 million in external funding. His research interests include wellness coaching as a primary mechanism for behavior change and the integration of sport and physical activity for people with disabilities.
