Peter McGinnis

Peter M. McGinnis, PhD, is a professor in the department of kinesiology at the State University of New York, College at Cortland, where he has taught since 1990. He is also the men’s and women’s pole vault coach at SUNY Cortland. Before 1990, Dr. McGinnis was an assistant professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Northern Colorado. During that time he served as a sport biomechanist in the Sports Science Division of the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, where he conducted applied sport biomechanics research, tested athletes, taught biomechanics courses to coaches, and developed educational materials for coaches.

Dr. McGinnis is also the biomechanist for the pole vault event for USA Track and Field. As a member of the American Society of Testing Materials, he serves as chair of the pole vault equipment subcommittee and the task group on pole vault helmets. He has authored numerous articles and technical reports about the biomechanics of pole vaulting and has been a reviewer for Sports Biomechanics, the Journal of Applied Biomechanics, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, and the Journal of Sports Sciences.

Dr. McGinnis is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American College of Sports Medicine, American Society of Biomechanics, and the International Society of Biomechanics in Sport. He received a PhD in physical education from the University of Illinois in 1984 and a BS in engineering from Swarthmore College in 1976.