Task Force Appointed to Develop Plan to Elevate Sport Management in the Falk College

Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter today announced the appointment of a task force to develop plans for elevating the Department of Sport Management within the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics to a School of Sport Management. The shift from department to school will enhance and extend the existing excellence and position the new School of Sport Management to reach even greater levels of distinction and eminence.

“Since it launched nearly two decades ago, the Department of Sport Management has been enormously successful in attracting high-performing students and preparing them for careers in the sports industry,” says Provost Ritter. “This is an area of distinction not only for the Falk College but for Syracuse University and creates an opportunity to leverage our faculty’s intellectual property to capitalize on a significant and emerging field of study and professional industry. I appreciate the task force’s commitment to this work and look forward to reviewing its findings and recommendations.”

The task force will explore and recommend ways that a new School of Sport Management will connect, align and integrate with other areas of teaching and research related to sport on the Syracuse University campus.

Jeffrey Rubin, professor of practice in the School of Information Studies, special advisor to the Chancellor on eSports and digital transformation, and founder of Sidearm Sports, and Jamie Winders, associate provost for faculty affairs, will co-chair the task force. Other members include:

• Keonte Coleman, assistant professor, broadcast and digital journalism, director of assessment and program review, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
• Lindsey Darvin, assistant professor, sport management, Falk College
• Brad Horn, professor of practice, public relations, associate dean for strategic initiatives, Newhouse School
• Kristen Konkol, associate teaching professor, exercise science, Falk College
• Rodney Paul, professor, sport management and director, sport analytics program, Falk College
• Gina Pauline, associate professor and undergraduate director, sport management, Falk College
• Tommy Powell, assistant provost for student-athlete academic development
• Lori Robinson G’09, Emerging Leaders Council, Falk College, Department of Sport Management

This task force will undertake its work at the same time the search is underway for the next dean of the Falk College, who will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the plan to elevate the new School of Sport Management. This will be the second school to be established within the Falk College, which already includes the School of Social Work.