SPM Faculty
Sport Management students learn from world-class faculty members who are internationally renowned for their innovative research.
Brian Avery
Senior Lecturer
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Event, tourism, and attraction management
- Event, tourism, and attraction risk and safety management
- Event, tourism, and attraction regulations, standards, and practices
- Event design and execution
- Amusement ride and device safety
Dr. Yonghwan Chang
Associate Professor
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Sport Consumer Psychology
- Quantitative Sport Marketing
Dr. Dan Connaughton
Professor
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Risk perception
- Risk management policies and practices
- Legal and policy issues in sport and physical activity
Dr. Jessica Francis
Instructional Assistant Professor, Internship Coordinator, Director of Engaged Learning & Outreach
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Athlete/coach identity and development
- Collegiate athletics
Dr. Molly Harry
Assistant Professor
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- The relationship between the NCAA, institutions, and athletic departments
- Ways the NCAA, institutions, and athletic departments can improve athletes’ developmental opportunities and experiences
- Athletes’ NIL rights
- Future athlete-employee status
- New/reformed models of college athletics
- Title IX and gender/gender identity equity
Dr. Jasamine Hill
Assistant Professor
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Sport employee growth
- Organizational performance
- Psychological Safety
Dr. Gidon Jakar
Assistant Professor
Department of Sport Management
- Geography and sport social and environmental externalities
- Sport venue development and the urban fabric
- Sport venue development public policy
- The geographical distribution professional and amateur sport
Dr. Kyriaki Kaplanidou
Professor, Chair
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Sport consumer perceptions about event experiences
- Impacts and legacies of sport events on community development
- Sport event tourism
Dr. Yong Jae Ko
Professor
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Consumer behavior research focused on socio-psychological variables that influence sport consumption behavior
- Service marketing research focused on consumers’ quality and value perceptions toward a variety of sport services
- Sponsorship and sport branding
Dr. Christopher McLeod
Associate Professor, Graduate Coordinator
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Labor Studies
- Athlete Development
- Sports Leagues
- Market Entry
- Sport Ecology
Dr. Scott Nestler
Professor of Practice
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Sport Analytics
- Performance Analytics
- Business Analytics
Dr. Emily Plunkett
Instructional Assistant Professor, Undergraduate Coordinator
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Holistic athlete development and sport career transitions
- Career exploration, development, and readiness
- Program development, evaluation, and assessment
Dr. Alyssa Tavormina
Instructional Associate Professor, Director of the Online Sport Management Program
Department of Sport Management,
Online Sport Management Master’s Program
Primary fields of interest:
- Sport Consumer Behavior ( e.g., factors that affect consumers’ decisions to attend games)
- Sport Branding (e.g., sport brand love)
Dr. Christine Wegner
Instructional Associate Professor, Director of the Institute for Coaching Excellence
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Sport for Development
- Sport for Social Change
Dr. Cynthia Willming
Instructional Associate Professor
Department of Sport Management
Primary fields of interest:
- Event Management
- Perceived Racial Discrimination and Leisure Travel
- Race and Leisure Travel
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