Joseph Rotella’s (BPhEd ’89) career path took a turn during his final year at Brock. At the time, he was planning to become a physical and health education teacher, but one of his professors encouraged him to consider some of his other interests.

“I really took that to heart. And that’s what I did. I pursued other things and some things that interest me, really non-traditional avenues, and it worked out for me,” says Rotella, who recently received the 2026 Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Distinguished Graduate Award.

His willingness to explore unexpected opportunities eventually led him to sports medicine and osteopathy, where he has built a career spanning teaching, clinical practice and curriculum development.

A lifelong athlete, Rotella studied Physical Education at Brock and played varsity soccer.

“Brock became a really good fit for me. The smaller classes and approachability of professors built a solid foundation,” he says.

After graduation, he pursued his interest in sports medicine and earned a master’s from Indiana State University, where he received a full scholarship and assistantship. He was the only Canadian in his graduate program and worked in the Student Advisement Centre, helping students navigate academic and personal challenges.

Rotello joined Sheridan College as an instructor when he returned to Ontario. He went on to  became a professor at the College while also studying osteopathic manual practice.

“My lessons and my studying were almost like they were overlapping,” he says. “It turned out to be a great combination for me.”

His career continued to develop across teaching, clinical practice and education. He taught rehabilitation sciences at Sheridan College, McMaster University and the Canadian College of Osteopathy, established a private practice and eventually stepped away from teaching to focus more on his clinical work.

Rotella also consulted on the development of an osteopathy program at Sheridan College, which has been in place since 2022.

Looking back, he credits discipline and work ethic he learned from his immigrant parents with helping him manage the many demands of his career.

“As long as I was working hard, I have had very few problems,” he says.