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School of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Contact us

Office

Physical & courier address

School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education
University of Victoria
Room 120, McKinnon Building
3800 Finnerty Rd
Victoria BC  V8P 5C2
Canada

Mailing address

School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education
University of Victoria
PO Box 1700 STN CSC
Victoria BC  V8W 2Y2
Canada

Maps, buildings and directions

Faculty

Profile photo of Dr. Harper

Nevin Harper

Professor; Acting Director; Recreation and Health Education Program Leader Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Nevin Harper is a professor in the School of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education. Nevin has been a career outdoor educator, guide and trainer in outdoor adventure leadership and group facilitation. He is also a registered clinical counsellor who practices outdoor therapy—bringing outdoor physical activity, mindfulness, and ecological wellness principles together. He remains active in a number of national and international outdoor leadership and adventure therapy organizations.

Office: MCK 122, MCK 195b 250-721-8382

Area(s) of expertise:
Adventure recreation, Outdoor education and therapies, Leadership, Outdoor risky play
Jean Buckler, EPHE

Jean Buckler

Associate Professor Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education

Dr. Buckler is an Associate Professor. Her research focuses on improving the opportunities children of all ages receive to move towards or stay on a positive physical literacy trajectory, and to engage in health promoting physical activity. In particular she is interested in how to reduce physical activity drop out in adolescence.

Office: MCK 134 250-721-8387

Area(s) of expertise:
Gender inclusive physical activity, recreational physical activity, health promotion

Sandra Gibbons

Professor Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education

Dr. Sandy Gibbons is a Professor. Dr. Gibbons received the Faculty of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2001 and 2010. In 2012, Dr. Gibbons was the recipient of the R. Tait MacKenzie Award from Physical and Health Education (PHE) Canada. Dr. Gibbons is currently Chair of Human Research Ethics Board for the University of Victoria.

 

Office: MCK 131 250-721-8383

Area(s) of expertise:
Girl-friendly physical education; team building in physical education; authentic assessment in physical educations

Jennifer Gruno

Assistant Teaching Professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Gruno is an Assistant Teaching Professor. Her research interests include fostering young peoples’ meaningful connections to nature in Physical and Health Education, and pre-service and in-service teacher education.

Office: MCK 128 250-472-5064

Area(s) of expertise:
Outdoor learning, teacher education, Physical and Health Education, nature-based literacy, nature-based physical activity.

Tim Hopper

Professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Tim Hopper is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria whose scholarly work focuses on teacher education, physical and health education (PHE), and applying complexity theory to teaching and learning. A global consultant known for his expertise in game-centered approaches, he has notable international experience, including consulting for the USTA, Singapore PE and Sport national body and delivering keynote presentations on game-based approaches to PHE instruction in various countries.

Office: MCK 127 250-721-3694

Area(s) of expertise:
School integrated teaching education; Tennis instruction; Play-practice-play coaching and teacher games for understanding; digital portfolios; qualitative research genres; social constructivism and complexity theories

Sandra Hundza

Associate professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Sandra Hundza is an associate professor and EPHE Director. Sandra has a clinical background in physiotherapy in the area of neurology, orthopaedics and geriatrics. She is also a research affiliate of CanAssist, Centre on Aging, Centre for Neuroscience, Centre for Biomedical Research, International Collaboration on Repair and Discoveries.

Office: MCK 191

Area(s) of expertise:
Neural control of human movement and motor rehabilitation with aging and after injury and disease (e.g., stroke or Parkinson’s disease); neural control of balance during walking and coordination of limbs and trunk during rhythmic movement; assistive devices and technologies related to mobility and mobility measurement
Profile image of Doctor David Kennedy

David Kennedy

Associate Professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Accepting graduate students

Dr. Kennedy is an Associate Professor. Dr. Kennedy is US trained physiotherapist with 20+ yrs of clinical practice experience. His interest is in perception and how it affects movement and function and aims to better understand human movement and reduce motor impairments to improve health outcomes.

Office: MCK 124

Area(s) of expertise:
Pain perception and its physiological, psychological, and behavioural drivers; neurophysiology of sensory processing; perceptual influences on movement and function; sensory feedback in neurological conditions (particularly stroke and multiple sclerosis) and in healthy populations.

Marc Klimstra

Associate professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Marc Klimstra is an Associate Professor. He co-coordinates the Motion and Mobility research laboratory with Dr. Sandra Hundza. His research interests are biomechanics and motor control of human movement in sport, exercise and rehabilitation.

Office: MCK 135 250-721-8386

Area(s) of expertise:
Biomechanics and motor control of human movement in sport; exercise and rehabilitation

Olav Krigolson

Professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Olav Krigolson is a professor and the lead investigator of the Theoretical and Applied Neuroscience Laboratory. The principal focus of the lab is the study of neuroeconomics, an emerging field that integrates the principles of neuroscience, psychology, and economic theory with a purpose to explore and explain human decision making and learning.

Office: MCK 187 250-721-7843

Area(s) of expertise:
Theoretical Neuroscience: Learning, Decision-Making, Motor Control, Computational Neuroscience, Statistics, AI, Machine Learning, Neural Networks. Applied Neuroscience: Mobile neuroimaging (EEG, fNIRS), human performance, mild cognitive impairment / dementia.

Kirstin Lane

Associate Teaching Professor; Kinesiology Program Leader Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Office: MCK 135 250-721-7833

Area(s) of expertise:
Effects of exercise on health and disease outcomes in cancer patients; exercise assessment and prescription; clinical exercise physiology

Lara Lauzon

Associate professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Lara Lauzon is an Associate Professor. She has taught courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Lara also produced and hosted an award winning internationally syndicated health and fitness show called Body Moves. She has won numerous awards including a Faculty of Education Teaching Excellence Award (2007), a Graduate Student Award for Teaching Excellence (2000), the Victoria “Y” Women of Distinction Award for Fitness and Health (1997), and the B.C. Promotion Plus Leadership Award (1992) for promotion of girls and women in fitness and sport.

Office: MCK 126 250-721-8378

Area(s) of expertise:
Teacher wellness; college and university student health and wellness; work-life balance; leadership

Sam Liu

Associate Professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr Sam Liu's research focuses on two main areas: 1) developing and evaluating the effectiveness of digital communication technology (e.g. Internet, mobile phones, social media) to help individuals prevent chronic diseases, 2) finding innovative ways to monitor and predict behaviours and health outcomes using big data in order to better target and personalize digital health interventions.

See Dr. Sam Liu's Google Scholar profile for publications.

Office: MCK 192 250-721-8392

Area(s) of expertise:
Chronic disease prevention and management; eHealth/mHealth; big data and health surveillance; physical activity; health promotion

John Meldrum

Assistant professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. John Meldrum is an Assistant Professor and was the Director, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education between July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2020.

 

Office: MCK 0024D 250-721-8377

Area(s) of expertise:
Management, marketing, and service quality; understanding human relationships and the attachment to people, places and activities in a health, leisure, sport or community context

Ryan Rhodes

Professor; Graduate Advisor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Ryan Rhodes is a Professor, Director of the Behavioural Medicine Laboratory, and Graduate Advisor for the School. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Society of Behavioral Medicine, Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Distinguished International Affiliate of the American Psychological Society, and a College member of the Royal Society of Canada.

See Dr. Ryan Rhodes' Google Scholar profile for publications.

Office: MCK 189 250-721-8384

Area(s) of expertise:
Psychology of physical activity and sedentary behaviour; health promotion during life transitions (e.g., early-stage family development, retirement); application of technology to health behaviour change; bridging the intention-behaviour gap; the role of affect in health behaviour; self-regulation of behaviour; physical activity habit and identity formation.

Kurt Smith

Associate professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Smith is an Associate Professor. His research focuses on investigating the mechanism responsible for physiological adaptation in the cerebral and cardiac vasculature throughout the lifespan. Specifically, he utilizes exercise and environmental interventions to innovate imaging modalities and approaches that reveal more robust understanding of vascular structure and function in humans.

Office: MCK 130 250-853-3144

Area(s) of expertise:
Exercise and environmental mechanisms that influence cerebral and cardiovascular health.

Lynneth Stuart-Hill

Professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Lynneth Stuart-Hill is a professor. Her areas of research are exercise hematology and immunology; occupational physiology; development of pre-employment physical abilities tests; children and exercise; exercise prescription.

Office: MCK 132 250-721-7884

Area(s) of expertise:
Exercise hematology and immunology; occupational physiology; development of pre-employment physical abilities tests; children and exercise; exercise prescription

Viviene Temple

Professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Viviene Temple is a Professor. Viviene is also a past President of the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity and a Fellow of the Centre for Youth and Society at the University of Victoria.  Viviene was the recipient of the 2014 Faculty of Education Award for Excellence in Research.

Office: MCK 133 250-721-7846

Area(s) of expertise:
Physical activity among individuals with special needs and young children; motor skills

Paul Whitinui

Professor, Special Advisor to the Vice-President Indigenous (July 1st, 2024 - June 30th, 2026) Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. Paul Whitinui is an Indigenous Māori scholar from Aotearoa New Zealand and a grateful visitor here on the sacred lands of the Lekwungen and WSÁNEĆ peoples. He has a background in sport and leisure, Indigenous health and development, and teacher education.  Paul’s current scholarly work is broadly linked by relationships between Indigenous education, health and wellbeing, and the theorizing of socially just practices that benefit the future hopes and aspirations of Indigenous peoples, and their communities.

Office: MCK 188 250-472-5870

Area(s) of expertise:
Indigenous community health and development with a focus on the social and cultural determinants associated with resilience, sport, leisure, education, wellbeing and healing.
Profile picture of Dr. Paul Zehr

E. Paul Zehr

Status: On leave

Professor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

Dr. E. Paul Zehr is a Professor and is currently the Director for the Centre for Biomedical Research. Paul heads the Rehabilitation Neuroscience Laboratory and authors the blog Black Belt Brain.

Area(s) of expertise:
Neural control of rhythmic human movement; co-ordination of the arms and legs during locomotion; neuromuscular plasticity and motor recovery after stroke

Staff

  • Vera Atavina

    Status: On leave

    Administrative officer Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 123 250-721-8374

    Area(s) of expertise:
    School administration; budgets; undergrad program planning

  • Melissa Clarke

    Senior laboratory instructor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 166a 250-721-8393

    Area(s) of expertise:
    Anatomy lab coordination and instruction

  • Drew Commandeur

    Senior laboratory instructor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 090

    Area(s) of expertise:
    Human movement, biomechanics and physiology - lab coordination and instruction

  • Adam Cornett

    Practicum Coordinator - Kinesiology Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 180 250-472-4355

  • Tammy Doyle

    Co-op assistant Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 112 250-721-8390

    Area(s) of expertise:
    BSc Kinesiology and BA Recreation and Health Education co-op assistant

  • Natalie Haddow

    Cooperative education coordinator Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 113 250-472-4690

    Area(s) of expertise:
    BSc Kinesiology and BA Recreation and Health Education co-op coordinator

  • Kaitlin Kucharski

    Acting Administrative Officer Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 123 250-721-8374

    Area(s) of expertise:
    School administration; budgets; undergrad program planning

  • Greg Mulligan

    Senior laboratory instructor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 171a 250-853-3145

    Area(s) of expertise:
    Human movement, biomechanics and physiology - lab coordination and instruction

  • Veronica Planella

    Senior laboratory instructor Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 0024B 250-721-7844

    Area(s) of expertise:
    Motor learning and psychology of physical activity - lab coordination and instruction

  • Brad Temple

    Undergraduate adviser; sessional lecturer Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 115 250-721-6554

    Area(s) of expertise:
    BSc Kinesiology and BA Recreation and Health Education academic adviser

  • Grace-Ann Wynter

    Graduate and undergraduate program assistant Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 120 250-721-6682

    Area(s) of expertise:
    Graduate student support; undergrad registration assistance; graduate and undergraduate admission

  • Rebecca Zammit

    Assistant to Director Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education

    Office: MCK 120 250-721-8373

    Area(s) of expertise:
    Assistant to director; faculty support; undergrad course assistance

Adjunct professors & emeriti

Sessional instructors