Bob Ogoreuc turned developing an aquatics minor at Slippery Rock University into a major accomplishment.

The assistant professor of physical education at SRU is included in International Aquatics Magazine's list of the 25 most powerful and influential people in aquatics across the globe.

"I was contacted in December and the magazine wanted to do an interview with me," Ogoreuc said. "I couldn't believe it. The whole thing is breathtaking."

The Power 25 covers five categories of aquatics: leaders, executives, icons, athletes and people on the move.

"They didn't tell me which category made them name me, but I'm guessing it was leaders or people on the move, by process of elimination," Ogoreuc said.

Among other names on the Power 25 are Michael Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the 2004 Olympic Games, 12-time Olympic gold medallist Jenny Thompson, world record holder Janet Evans, international diving champion Fu Mingxia of China and Ian Thorpe of Australia, holder of 22 world records.

Others include Buck Dawson, executive director of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, U.S. Lifeguard Association president B. Chris Brewster and National Swimming Pool Foundation CEO Tom Lachocki.

Ogoreuc, 38, spent 12 years as The Rock's head swimming coach, his last season being 2002-03. He succeeded in turning SRU's aquatic education program into a minor four years ago.

The program averages 40 students each year, and Ogoreuc teaches everything from water chemistry to facility management.

"There are so many fields in aquatics students can build careers in," he said. "We send them out there equipped to handle that and there is a demand for them."

Ball State in Indiana is the only university in the country that offers an aquatics major. No more than 15 universities nationwide offer aquatics as a minor.

Scott Hendry, an eight-time All-American swimmer under Ogoreuc at The Rock, directs the aquatics program at the Butler YMCA. SRU grad Kate Berkes is aquatics director in Pflugerville, Texas.

Kevin Dawson is the swim coach at Titusville and Dennis Nesaw is assistant aquatics director at Carnegie Mellon University.

"We've got graduates out there all over the place," Ogoreuc said. "Recreation, athletics, teaching and rehabilitative aquatics are just a few fields our students enter."

Ogoreuc said aquatics is a certification-based field and his students leave his program with the proper certification.

"They walk out of here with the certification that makes them marketable," he said.

Ogoreuc admits there are "certain aspects of coaching I miss, but the success of our minor program fills much of that void."

Ogoreuc still works as a training officer for the Ocean City, N.J., Beach Patrol, where he teaches life saving to lifeguards and firefighters.

He is headed to Ireland over spring break to discuss how to design a curriculum at an international aquatics conference.

As for SRU one day offering a major in aquatics, Ogoreuc isn't that greedy.

"We have one of the top three to five programs out there right now," he said. "I'm pleased with where we're at."