Stannard to head new school of sport

Associate Professor Stephen Stannard has been appointed to head the University’s new School of Sport and Exercise.

The initiative recognises the importance of sport, exercise, wellbeing and lifestyle management as well as the growing significance of areas such as coaching and sports management.

Dr Stannard is currently Director of Exercise and Sport Science in the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health. A former Australian representative racing cyclist, he has been at the University since 2003 and his area of specialist research is exercise physiology.

He will work with the school implementation committee, chaired by Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Ingrid Day, on the next stage of the establishment process.

Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey announced the appointment at a presentation evening for the University’s Academy of Sport at the Manawatu campus. The academy provides a scholarship and support programme for talented athletes, many of national and international ranking, studying at the Manawatu campus.

Mr Maharey described Dr Stannard as a leading researcher in his field at the forefront of a proposal to have an Olympic-class velodrome built at the campus. “Massey has a long history of excellence in the areas of sports management and more recently, exercise science. Bringing the programmes together under a new school is an important step in establishing Massey as New Zealand’s university of choice for sport-related teaching and research.”