Professor Van Rheenen Directs UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Education CSSE Concentration and the Athletic Study Center
Derek Van Rheenen was a former professional soccer player before earning his M.A. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley.
About Derek Van Rheenen (Ph.D.)
Derek Van Rheenen’s research interests include cultural studies of play, games and sport, the connections between sports, learning and schooling, and the role of intercollegiate athletics in the American university system. A former Academic All-American and professional soccer player, Van Rheenen teaches courses on sport, culture, and education within UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Van Rheenen directs UC Berkeley's Cultural Studies of Sport in Education (C.S.S.E.) Master's program. The M.A. investigates the ways in which institutionalized sport both conflicts with and complements the educational mission of American secondary and post-secondary schools. He also serves as Director of the Athletic Study Center and was named a Chancellor's Public Scholar for 2012-2013
Dr. Van Rheenen has been a Visiting Professor at the International University of Monaco, is an invited speaker at national and international conferences, and is regularly interviewed about the role of sport in society and the intersections of sport and schooling, particularly college sports.
His research, advocacy, and expertise has been featured on local and national media outlets including CBS, ABC, San Jose Mercury News, Comcast Sports Network and many others.
Web Pages:
UC Berkeley, Graduate School of Education
UC Berkeley, Athletic Study Center
Faculty Video Feature Below