Rate My Professor Daniel Porter

Daniel Porter is the Manager | Kaiwhakahaere of Recreation Services at the Unipol Recreation Centre, University of Otago. In this capacity, he leads the operations of a key student service facility that provides comprehensive fitness, sport, and recreation opportunities for University of Otago students and staff. The centre operates extended hours, from 6am to 10pm on weekdays, 8am to 9pm on Saturdays, and 9am to 10pm on Sundays, supporting physical activity and wellbeing initiatives across campus. Porter also contributes to the Healthy Campus staff support team, focusing on physical health and proactive support, with contact available via email at daniel.porter@otago.ac.nz or phone at +64 27 499 5031.

Porter earned a Master of Physical Education (MPE) from the University of Otago in 2011, with his thesis titled 'Local Government Accountability: An Investigation Into Local Government Processes Of Assurance In Relation To Sporting Facility Development.' His research interests align with sport policy and societal wellbeing, demonstrated by his co-authorship of the peer-reviewed article 'The wellbeing pandemic: Outline of a contested terrain and a proposed research agenda,' published in Frontiers in Sociology in 2022. Affiliated with the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences for this work, the paper examines wellbeing as a contested concept under neoliberal influences, advocating for critical interdisciplinary approaches to address it as a wicked problem in institutional settings like sport and exercise. Porter's contributions earned him the University of Otago 2018 Professional Staff Award for exceptional performance, recognizing his impact on recreation services. Through his leadership, Unipol has supported adaptive sport initiatives and student engagement in physical activities, enhancing campus health and inclusion.