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Dan O’Connor, PhD Bio Picture

Daniel P. O’Connor

Dan O’Connor, PhD, is a Professor and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at University of Houston.

Program: Sports Medicine ‘91

Daniel P. O’Connor graduated from Rice University (Baker College) in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Performance and Health Sciences (now called Kinesiology) and was licensed as an athletic trainer.

Dan then earned a master’s degree in physical therapy from Texas Woman’s University in 1993 and worked for several years as a physical therapist and athletic trainer. He returned to school in 1998 and completed a PhD in Kinesiology at University of Houston in 2002. After 5 years as the Director of the Joe W. King Orthopedic Institute (now named Fondren Orthopedic Research Institute), Dan joined the faculty of the Department of Health and Human Performance at University of Houston in 2007.

As Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) since January 2022, Dan oversees 14 academic departments, nine academic areas and programs, 13 academic centers, six clinical service units and more than 680 full- and part-time faculty members. Serving more than 12,000 students, CLASS is the largest and most diverse of the 16 academic colleges at UH. He has served in many other roles at UH including Interim Dean (2020-21); Associate Dean for Faculty and Research (2018-20); Department Chair (2016-20); President of the UH Faculty Senate (2018); and Fellow of the Helping Everyone Achieve a Lifetime of Health (HEALTH) Research Institute (2016-present). He also served as President of the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association in 2008-09.

Dan has an extensive research record, including collaborations with more than 100 investigators, more than $17 million in externally funded research awards, nearly 200 scientific articles, and a textbook used by many athletic training education programs across the country (Clinical Pathology for Athletic Trainers: Recognizing Systemic Disease). Dan is a Fellow of the Obesity Society and a Hall of Fame member for both the Greater Houston Athletic Trainers Society and the Southwest Athletic Trainers Association.

Dr. O'Connor can be reached at dpoconno@central.uh.edu.

Contact Information


KINESIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

S203 Tudor Fieldhouse

(713)348-8318 (Office)
(713)348-8808 (Fax)

PHYSICAL ADDRESS

6100 Main St, MS-545 Houston, TX 77005

Our offices are located on the 2nd floor of Tudor Fieldhouse on the east side of the building. The easiest way to access our suite is to enter through the east side door that faces the intramural fields and Wiess College. You will then go up the stairway to the 2nd floor, and our suite will be through the open door ahead on the right.