Sport Management Doctoral Program
Doctoral Students
- Hansol Hwang
- Ju Young Lee
- Minkyo Lee
- Namhun Lim
- David Lovell
- Jeremiah Shirk
- Chase Smith
- Ryan Vooris
- Adia Waldburger
- Ben Wright
- Juha Yoon
Hansol Hwang
Prior to the commencement of his sport management graduate work, Hwang – who has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Seoul National University and another master’s in sport management from Indiana University – worked for three years as a sport marketer for PhoenixPark, the biggest ski & golf resort in Korea. His primary job responsibilities were dealing with sponsorship with Samsung and VISA, as well as pricing for the annual ski packages in the organization. He was also a platoon leader for Korea Marine Corps for two years. Hwang’s research interests focus on a variety of sponsorship deals in the sport management field and sport brand extensions through various media outlets. He was a swimmer and field hockey player for many years. He now enjoys golf, tennis, and skiing in his free time.
Research Areas: Marketing; Sponsorship; Brand Extension
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Patrick Walsh
Email: hanhwang@indiana.edu
Ju Young Lee
Lee – a first year PhD student – has undergraduate (Sport Marketing and Management) and master’s (Athletic Administration) degrees from Indiana University (IU). While in the undergraduate program in IU, Lee had a summer job in the National Assembly and the Korea Baseball Association. While in the graduate program he has taught several courses in the Physical Activity Instruction Program (PAIP). Lee’s research interests include sport media consumer behavior, media violence, and social & psychological factors that affect sport media consumption. In his free time he enjoys playing and watching various sports such as bowling, golf, soccer, baseball, and basketball.
Research Areas: Sport media consumer behavior; Media violence; Social and psychological factors affecting sport media consumption.
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Choonghoon Lim
Email: lee432@indiana.edu
Namhun Lim
Lim enters the doctoral program after years of academic study and work as a practitioner. He graduated with a master’s degree in Financial Mathematics from University of Minnesota, Twin cities and received a dual-major bachelor’s degree in Ceramic and Mechanical Engineering at Yonsei University, Seoul. Namhun also worked for Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics in Korea. He was accountable for mechanical design part of LCD panel production equipment at Samsung and for production management of LCD monitors at LG. After aforementioned academic and field experiences, his ardent interest in sports has led him to the path of sport management at Indiana University. His research interests focus on sports economics and finance, especially, valuation of sport enterprises, financial management of the sport industry, and economic impact and development related to sport.
Research Areas: Sport economics; Sport finance
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Choonghoon Lim
Email: nlim@indiana.edu
Minkyo Lee
Lee has B.S and M.S degrees from the Department of Sport and Leisure Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. As a second-year doctoral student with a major in sport management and a minor in telecommunications, Lee is interested in sports media and particularly in how sports fans respond to sports with media coverage. He has published articles entitled “The effect of a home team announcer and commentator on the team’s image, identification, loyalty, and TV audience satisfaction of a sports contest” in the Korean Journal of Physical Education and “The effect of color commentator on satisfaction in commentator, viewing flow, and re-viewing intention in local sports broadcasting” in the Korean Journal of Sports Science. Moreover, Lee’s research interests focus on how the emotional factor that is derived from sports-related stimuli influences sports fans’ cognition and behavior. Lee participated in Korean traditional wrestling (ssiruem) during his school years and presently enjoys snowboarding, soccer, swimming, golf, squash, and playing guitar in his free time.
Research Areas: Sport communication; Sport consumer behavior; Sport consumer psychology
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Choonghoon Lim
Email: lmg1133@indiana.edu
David Lovell
Lovell – a third-year PhD student in the Sport Management program at Indiana University – graduated from Indiana University with a master’s degree in Recreational Sports Administration in 2003 and a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management in 1993. He currently serves as an Associate Director of Branding and Fan Experience at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). His responsibilities include strategic brand building and developing fan experience strategies for NCAA Championships and targeted initiatives. Prior to his work at the NCAA, Lovell served for five years as Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Promotions at the University of Miami. His work centered on generating revenue and increasing attendance for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball. He served as the licensing representative for Hurricane Athletics and managed the contracts of key equipment suppliers and pouring rights partners. Lovell also served as an adjunct lecturer and taught an undergraduate sports marketing class at the University of Miami. Before joining the staff at Miami, Lovell served for five years as Director of Marketing and Promotions for Indiana University Athletics. His duties included generating revenue and increasing attendance for football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and men’s and women’s soccer. His responsibilities included visual brand oversight as licensing representative for IU Athletics. Lovell has been a member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) since 1998, and currently serves on the NACMA board. His research interests include: Analysis of strategic plans among Division I college athletic departments; student-athlete experiences in college; relationship between marketing and sales in college athletics. In his free time Lovell enjoys running, reading, spending time with friends and family, traveling, and watching a variety of professional and collegiate sporting events.
Research Area: Marketing, branding, and strategic planning among Division I college athletic departments
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Patrick Walsh
Email: madlovel@indiana.edu
Jeremiah Shirk
Jeremiah Shirk is in his first year in the doctoral program at Indiana University. He graduated from Ball State University with an MBA (2010) and from Indiana University with a Master’s in Athletic Administration/Sport Management (2009) and an undergraduate in Telecommunications (1999). Shirk currently serves on the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee as an Intern for Event Operations & Special Events. His responsibilities include all aspects of operational planning and execution of the game day experience and other events surrounding the Super Bowl. Prior to returning to graduate school Shirk was an Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator for Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee. Jeremiah was accountable for all program operations from donor cultivation, marketing, community outreach, student-athlete recruitment and development. During Shirk’s tenure the Lady Eagles advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NAIA Division 1 National Tournament with ten newcomers on the roster. Before joining the Lambuth Staff, Shirk served in various capacities for Indiana University Athletics in Men’s Basketball, Football, Women’s Basketball and External Operations. Shirk has also worked numerous events for USA Basketball over the course of his career and an internship with ESPN. Jeremiah’s vast experience in athletics gives him a macro level perspective on intercollegiate athletics and the numerous stakeholders and constituencies that is the genesis of his research. A native of Atlanta, Indiana, Jeremiah enjoys various physical activities, reading, the arts, and time with family and friends.
Research Area: The influence of business theory and practice on sport organization strategy, planning, and execution.
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Galen Clavio
Email: jshirk@indiana.edu
Chase Smith
Smith has degrees from DePauw University (B.S. in economics) and Indiana University (M.S. in sport management). Following his undergraduate education, Smith lived in Chicago for two and half years and worked for AFN LLC, a logistics firm once located in Deerfield, IL. During this time he also assisted with the Deerfield High School boys basketball team, coaching the freshmen. In 2008, Smith was offered a coaching job with the men’s basketball program at the University of Indianapolis, where he assisted for one season. His duties included assisting the head coach in organizing, preparing, and conducting individual and team practices, trainings, and competitions. The following year he took a job in Centralia, IL, with Kaskaskia College as an assistant men’s basketball coach, student-excel facilitator, and residential advisor. He also had responsibilities that included student-athlete academic advising and course instruction. Currently, Smith works for a non-profit organization affiliated with Indiana University called the President’s Challenge. His research interests deal with the sociology of sport. Smith enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing basketball and softball, traveling, training for various running events, and cooking.
Research Areas: Factors influencing the gender and racial inequalities that exist within collegiate and professional sports in America.
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Gary Sailes
Email: smitchas@indiana.edu
Ryan Vooris
Vooris is a first year PhD student in the Sport Management program at Indiana University. Ryan is a graduate of Indiana University’s Sport Management Master's program and received his B.S. in Sport Management from The State University of New York at Cortland College in 2008. He also studied history and political science at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. Before returning to school to earn his Master's and Doctorate degrees, Ryan worked as a movie theatre manager for Regal Entertainment Group and as a Media Department Supervisor for Best Buy. His experience in the sport industry includes time spent in ticket sales, administration, and promotion while working in Minor League Baseball, Division I athletics, and at a NFL Training Camp. Ryan’s research interests focus on social media from a uses and gratifications framework. He is also interested in the study of online disinhibition, relationship marketing on social media, and sport history (specifically the dead ball era in baseball, the Negro Leagues and the Olympics). Originally from Herkimer, NY, Ryan is an avid reader and the proud father of two boys. In his spare time he coaches little league for his kids and quizzes them on American history. He is a proud individual member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
Research Areas: Social media; Online disinhibition; Relationship marketing on social media; Sport history
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Galen Clavio
Email: rvooris@indiana.edu
Adia Waldburger
Adia Waldburger is a first-year doctoral student in the Sport Management program at Indiana University. She returns to the classroom after nine of years of working professionally in both sports and recreation. Waldburger, a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, received her B.A. in Communication just up the road at DePauw University and returned to school two years later to complete a Master’s program in Sport and Recreation Administration at Temple University in Philadelphia in 2001. After graduation, she was able to work for the 2002 Winter Olympics when her hometown of Salt Lake City hosted the Games. After that, she worked in recreation for a few years before realizing her longtime dream of becoming a sports writer in the resort town of Park City, Utah. While there, Waldburger was able to cover local sports, outdoor recreation and national and international sporting events, including National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) national races and World Cup bobsled, skeleton, luge, snowboarding and skiing events. Her research interests include sport communication and online media with a focus on racial perceptions. In her free time, Waldburger enjoys seeking adventure, hiking, water sports and watching collegiate and professional sports.
Research Area: New media as it relates to minority perceptions and consumption.
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Galen E. Clavio
Email: awaldbur@indiana.edu
Ben Wright
Wright is a first year PhD student in the Sport Management program at Indiana University. He graduated with his master’s degree in Sport Management from The Florida State University (FSU) in 2012. His thesis, “Best of N Contests: Implications of Simpson’s Paradox in Tennis,” examined a statistical theory and the scoring of professional tennis. Prior to FSU, he graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management. While at FSU, Ben worked with Seminoles Sports Marketing, taught a variety of lifetime activity program courses including tennis and golf, and served as a teaching assistant for four sports law courses. Prior to attending FSU, he worked at a public relations firm in Los Angeles, California and held a fitness sales position in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado. Ben enjoys working out, golfing, playing tennis, attending sporting events, and enjoying the outdoors. In addition, he is an avid Denver Broncos fan and proud supporter of FSU football.
Research Areas: Business and marketing theory implications in the sport industry; Branding strategies; Fitness marketing.
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Antonio Williams
Email: wright79@indiana.edu
Juha Yoon
Yoon – a first-year PhD student – has various scholarly interests within the field of sport management, including such areas as sport communication and sport consumer behavior. Her specific research line is focused on quantitative and qualitative analyses of the media utilization as marketing strategies and the media effect on consumer behavior. Juha has a master’s in sport management from Indiana University and an undergraduate degree in physical education and business administration from Seoul Women’s University (SWU). She graduated in the top six percent of her class and received the Academic Excellence Scholarship and other awards in recognition of her leadership at the university and her commitment to the community. While at SWU, Yoon was a collegiate athlete in aerobic gymnastics and captained the team during her junior year. While she was on the team, the team placed first nationally two times. In addition to her academic and athletic background, Yoon has two years of work experience at Daemyung Vivaldi Ski Resort and is professionally certified to teach yoga and aerobics. In her spare time, Juha enjoys yoga, taekwondo, running, and the adventures/travels involved with learning about other cultures.
Research Areas: Sport Communication; Sport Consumer Behavior; The Olympics (Youth Olympic Games, Winter Olympic Games, etc.)
Program of Study Chair: Dr. Paul M. Pedersen
Email: juhayoon@indiana.edu
