Associate Professor
PhD (Otago), MSc (Alberta), BPhEd(Otago), GDTE (Otago Polytechnic)

Phil is proudly a physical educator, interested and inquisitive in almost anything to do with exercise and sport. Having worked in exercise rehabilitation, strength and conditioning, and community exercise prescription he has since enjoyed a 30 year career in academia as a teacher/practitioner/researcher. A well published researcher, Phil has undertaken contract and grant research using a wide range of research methodologies. He reviews regularly for a number of academic publications and is currently editing a special edition on injury prevention and management. Phil is a highly experienced and enthusiastic postgraduate supervisor with particular research interests in exercise rehabilitation, return to play decision making, professional competence of exercise professionals, making physical activity sustainable, and concussion management and student life. Within Otago Polytechnic’s Institute of Sport Exercise & Health, Phil teaches across the postgraduate programme and continues to welcome and supervise Masters and Doctoral students.

Richard is Academic Leader for the postgraduate programme in Exercise and Health, and Vice Chair of the Otago Polytechnic Research Ethics Committee. Richard has a Master of Science (Exercise Health and Nutrition) and a Master of Philosophy (Exercise Nutrition and Public Health), both from the University of Bristol.

Richard’s research interest is in the therapeutic use of exercise. His teaching includes research methods, exercise and health related topics and the research projects on the undergraduate degree. His approach to supervision is holistic and focussed on social science projects with a health component.

Adain Summerfield
Senior Lecturer
Adain is the Exercise strand leader in the Bachelor of Applied Science.
Adain joined the ISEH team in 2002 and teaches in the exercise leadership.
He has a Bachelor's of Physical Education, Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Learning and Teaching and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health.
Email: adain.summerfield@op.ac.nz

Gary’s areas of interest include health psychology, exercise psychology and sport psychology. Gary has a Master of Physical Education (Sport Psychology - with Distinction), a Graduate Diploma in Science (Psychology) and a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Learning and Teaching. He has been teaching in tertiary education for approximately 15 years.

Gary has consulted with a wide range of athletes, teams and performing artists, from junior club level through to those competing in masters international competition, to help them achieve peak performance in their fields. He has a particular interest in the relationship between exercise or physical activity and mental health and well-being. He is also interested in the development and transfer of life skills between sport and other life environments.

Gary enjoys the challenge of helping students at many levels of tertiary study including certificate through to masters level.

Peter is the Programme Manager for our Avalanche Risk Management & Snowsport Instructing Programmes. He is qualified in Mechanical Engineering and Business Economics, but changed career path after many years to work in the mountains as a ski instructor, ski patroller and ski guide before moving on to teaching. He is a fully qualified national and international (NZSIA and ISIA) Telemark Ski Instructor Examiner and past National Divisional Director, Technical Director and NZSIA Executive Committee Member. He was selected to represent New Zealand for 3 consecutive Interski demonstration events in Norway, Switzerland and South Korea.

Continuing to test theory and practice, Peter prioritises being current in industry and actively ski guides and avalanche forecasts around the globe. He is experienced in maritime to continental snowpacks from Alaska to the Himalaya, Japan to Canada and USA to NZ.

Peter has completed a New Zealand adult teaching qualification and has been well recognised for his efforts in the field of teaching. He was cited for an Otago Polytechnic Teaching Award in 2009 and the Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching National Award in 2011. Peter is also very active in the area of mountain and avalanche safety. In fact, risk management is central to his teaching & guiding; he teaches all clients and students to understand the risks posed by the mountains, and how to mitigate those risks.

He considers himself very fortunate to have the worlds largest whiteboard - the mountains, to share his passion for the mountains. Peter believes in maximizing the fun factor out there such that we can return and do it all again.

Peter Eley is Head of Programmes for Outdoor and Adventure Education based at the Wanaka Campus. He has been involved in the outdoors for over 20 years, working across continents before settling in New Zealand. You mainly find him in a boat or more recently on a bike.

Currently teaching on the Bachelor of Applied Science and in the postgraduate Strength & Conditioning stream, Simon has previously been a professional tennis coach for 18 years, working with juniors in Dunedin, Christchurch and Melbourne. He’s also worked as a strength and conditioning coach for three international rugby teams, including the Fiji 2015 World Cup squad.

“The first game was against England before a crowd of 82,000 at Twickenham, which was just incredible – it was an awesome feeling to walk into that environment. Playing Australia and Wales in front of the vocal crowds at Cardiff was also a moving experience.”

His roles have included gym- and field-based conditioning and monitoring – often using GPS technology – and fostering players’ overall wellness.

“I thoroughly enjoy the teaching and coaching aspects of my roles and the commitment to experiential learning here at OP. And the professional development opportunities here are outstanding.”

Simon has a Bachelor of Physical Education from the University of Otago (1997) and completed the Graduate Diploma in Physical Conditioning at Otago Polytechnic (2011). He has just completed his Masters in Professional Practice, investigating movement dysfunctions and possible movement corrections and their relationships with strength and conditioning.

My role as Placement Coordinator involves building and maintaining key industry relationships and connecting Bachelor of Applied Science students with local, National and International providers for placement opportunities. Also assisting and supervising the development of wellness programmes.