Longstanding member of the Faculty Professor Greg Gass concluded his time as Head, School of Health Sciences on 23 December, 2009 and will officially retire on Friday May 28.
With plans to retire in March last year being put on hold, Professor Gass agreed to delay his departure and take on the role as Head of School until a replacement was appointed.
Professor Lars McNaughton has been named Professor Gass’ successor as Head of School and will commence in the role in June. Professor Shayne Quick has acted in the role of Head of School prior to Professor McNaughton’s arrival.
Professor Gass has been a valued member of the Health Sciences team, responsible for developing the Bachelor of Exercise Science degree which was introduced in January 2007. He also revised the Bachelor of Sports Science to focus on high performance sport and elite athletes which has subsequently led to the launch of the new Master of High Performance Science.
In a career spanning more than 35 years, Professor Gass has blended academic achievement with clinical practice and internationally acknowledged research.
In 2007, he secured a National Health and Medical Research Committee (NHMRC) grant to lead a three-year study into the exercise dose-response relationships in older women, which ultimately aims to help general practitioners and other health professionals design appropriate exercise regimes that will delay the onset of chronic disease and disability in older females.
The Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine granted Professor Gass a research semester from January to May 2010 in which he worked on the final stages of his STEPforWARD project.
The Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine wishes Professor Gass all the very best in his next chapter of life.