Dr. Bob Christina, a nationally renowned author on the psychology of golf learning and performance, is in his third season as an assistant coach for the men’s golf team.

Christina, dean emeritus of the School of Health and Human Performance at UNCG, is a nationally recognized expert in exercise and sport science. He currently serves as a research and educational consultant to the Pinehurst Golf Academy, PGA of America, Golf Magazine and its Top 100 Teachers, Precision Golf School of the Triad and the Steering Committee of the World Scientific Congress of Golf and has appeared on NBC, CNN and the Golf Channel.

“Obviously, to have someone of Dr. Christina’s knowledge and ability join our staff is phenomenal,” head coach Terrance Stewart said upon Christina’s hiring. “He has instructional tapes endorsed by the PGA and done an enormous amount of technical research in the game. He will be a great asset to our program.”

In 2008, Christina was named one of Golf Magazine’ Innovators of the Year along with former Tour greats Arnold Palmer, Lee Elder and several others. In 2009, his research with Eric Alpenfels, director of the Pinehurst Golf Academy, on how to practice golf skills to learn to effectively take them to golf course won The Outstanding Research Award at the World Scientific Congress of Golf.

He and Alpenfels have published 30 research-based articles (eight of which were cover stories) on the learning and performance of golf skills in Golf Magazine since 2003. Some of their golf research has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and their 2005 article “The New Way to Putt” appeared as a cover story in Golf Magazine and won the National Magazine Award in the category of Leisure Interests, marking the first time any golf magazine had ever won the award.

Emanating from the article and their research was a book, “Instinct Putting,” which was published in 2009.

During his tenure at UNCG, Christina also served as a professor of kinesiology. He holds a bachelor’s from Ithaca College and a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

Christina taught health and physical education and coached several sports, including golf, at the high school and college levels from 1962-72. While a coach at SUNY-Brockport in 1972, he was named Baseball Coach of the Year by the SUNY Athletic Conference. After 17 years as a professor of exercise and sport science at Penn State, he became chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Exercise Science at SUNY-Buffalo. In 1992, he became dean of the School of Health and Human Performance at UNCG, a position he held until his retirement in 2001.

A native of Auburn, N.Y., Christina now lives in Greensboro, N.C., with his wife, Barbara. They have three children: Bob, Lynn and Lori, and five grandsons: Dawson, Parker, Daniel, Michael and Braden.