Peter Tulchinsky
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Mississippi welcomes Peter Tulchinsky as its new director of campus recreation.
Tulchinsky joins the Ole Miss family with more than 20 years of university recreation experience. From his undergraduate days at Notre Dame, he has been involved with campus recreation activities ranging from intramural sports to student instruction.
Before moving to UM, he spent 16 years honing his skills at Elon University, where he was director of campus recreation. He also has experience beyond the campus recreation offices.
“I served many capacities at Elon outside of my role as director of campus recreation,” he said. “I was an instructor for courses offered through academic advising, student professional development and health/human performance departments, advised student organizations and served on the staff advisory council.”
In his new post, he said he plans to focus on providing excellent recreational services and programs to the Ole Miss community.
“It’s my goal for the Turner Center to be a gathering place for the university, a place where students, faculty, staff and members of our community can come together and find facilities, programs and services that foster healthy lifestyles and well-being,” he said. “I also want to develop a culture where Ole Miss students view (the Department of) Campus Recreation as ‘the place’ for on-campus employment, a program where our top students want to work, develop professional competencies and serve our community.”
Immediate plans call for implementing changes in aesthetics and operations in anticipation of the upcoming fall semester. The renovated lower level of the Turner Center will provide space for group fitness studios that will accommodate classes in cycling, Zumba and more. The new areas will allow an increase in the number of group fitness classes offered each week.
The project also includes a new game room that will accommodate such activities as table tennis, foosball and shuffleboard; new office space for Ole Miss Outdoors; a family changing area; and renovated locker rooms with new lockers, benches and shower facilities.
“We will be placing a significant emphasis on customer service and developing a greater sense of pride and accountability with our student staff,” he said.
Tulchinsky said he is grateful for the Ole Miss community’s warm welcome and is looking forward to working with members of the community to make the recreation program one of the premier programs both on campus and in the field of university recreation.