Dr. Habegger enters his 23rd year as an associate of Columbus State, eighteen of those years as a faculty member in the Sport & Exercise Studies program.  He initiated and developed the SES program in 1992 and taught the first year on a part-time basis while maintaining his position as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.  In the summer of 1993, Tom moved full-time to the academic side and has been working with the SES program since then.  

Dr. Habegger has been at Columbus State since the spring of 1987 when he served as a graduate assistantship while completing his master’s degree from The Ohio State University. Later that year, after his graduation from OSU, he was named the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.  In that role, Tom directed the establishment of the athletic program at Columbus State beginning in 1988.  By the time he left the Student Activities and Athletics department, he had forged a nine-sport, nationally recognized program. For his accomplishments, including the winning of 1993 NJCAA Division III Men’s Golf National Championship by the golf team, Habegger was named the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference’s “Athletic Director of the Year” for 1993.  From 1991 to 1993 he served as the Commissioner of the OCCAC.  Tom has been honored for his efforts in the classroom by receiving Columbus State’s highest faculty award, the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1994, 1999 and 2008 and a finalist in 2002.    

In addition to his position at Columbus State, Habegger has taught in the Wilberforce University’s CLIMB Program where he also advised those students working on their bachelor degrees in addition to serving as a faculty member of the United States Sports Academy sport management program in Daphne, Alabama as a local examination proctor and Capella University as a Ph.D. committee member for several Doctoral learners.  He has held several national board positions including the National Exercise Science Education Foundation and is past President of the FoKus on the Youth Foundation.   

The Westerville, Ohio native has served the community in a variety of capacities, including as an advisory board member for World Gym, Incorporated, volunteer for he Columbus AIDS Task Force, First Tee Program board member at Bridgeview Golf Course in Columbus, and an active volunteer with Children’s Hospital.  Tom has also served as a Trustees Member on the YMCA Suburban North Board.    Dr. Habegger was named a finalist for the 2009 Ohio Association of Two Year Colleges Faculty Member of the Year.  In 2005, Dr. Habegger was inducted as a member of the Westerville South High School Alumni Hall of Fame. 

The Professor was also recognized in Who’s Who Among American Teachers and Strathmore’s Who’s Who in Business & Leadership in 2009 in addition to being named a “2003 Columbus Secret Santa Hometown Hero” by the Clear Channel broadcast organization for his volunteer work with Columbus Children’s Hospital over the past seventeen years.    At Westerville South High School, Habegger was an eight-time varsity letter-winner in diving and cross country and earned top ten state honors in diving in 1983.  While at West Virginia University, he was a scholarship athlete and a varsity letter-winner with the diving team, as well as a three-year member of the West Virginia University cheerleading squad.  In addition, he has coached various age groups of springboard divers and cheerleaders. 

Dr. Habegger is also an advocate for the plight of racing greyhounds and is active with Ohio organizations saving retired racing greyhounds from being destroyed through adoption.  Tom and his dogs, Blizzard (rescued Shih-Tzu), Lester, Lexxi, Maggie (Moo), and Angel (rescued greyhounds) and W. Schnitzel (Dachshund) reside in Westerville.