North American Society for Sport Management

The 2010 North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) Earle F. Zeigler, Dr. Garth Paton Distinguished Service Award, and Distinguished Educator Awards include three distinguished sport management scholars and educators.

Dr. Karen Danylchuk (University of Western Ontario) has been selected as the recipient for the 2010 Earle F. Zeigler Award. The Zeigler award is presented annually to an individual who a) has a minimum of 10 years service as a teacher, supervisor, and/or administrator, b) reflects the qualities of Dr. Zeigler in the areas of student growth and development; service; scholarship; and collegiality, and c) has made a significant contribution to the NASSM community. 

Most deserving of this distinction, Dr. Danylchuk has been involved with NASSM since 1986. In her role as a teacher, she has an interest in and passion for creating a learning environment that includes both theory and practice, and has successfully mentored graduate students into careers within the sport industry; many of whom have also contributed to the advancement of sport marketing theory through Dr. Danylchuk’s mentorship. Her dedication to sport management scholarship extends beyond her role as mentor, as Dr. Danylchuk has published in countless peer-reviewed journals including but not limited to the Journal of Sport Management, International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, International Journal of Sport Communication, and European Sport Management Quarterly. Through various publications over the last twenty-five years, Dr. Danylchuk has made a tremendous contribution to the international field of sport marketing.

Without question, Dr. Danylchuk is one of the prominent faces of NASSM and her leadership has extended to numerous conference invitations as a keynote presenter. The most recent invitation was at the 2008 Asian Association for Sport Management conference, an organization that Dr. Danylchuk helped establish based on her experience with NASSM. Further, as the Chair of the Host Committee for the 2011 NASSM conference at The University of Western Ontario, Dr. Danylchuk’s passion for the society and its membership will be highlighted and become another testament of her dedication to the success of the NASSM community.
All of the attributes and accomplishments listed above are certainly a reflection of the qualities upheld by Dr. Zeigler himself, and demonstrates a remarkable career with the NASSM organization.

Dr. Dianna P. Gray (University of Northern Colorado) was selected as the recipient of the 2010 Dr. Garth Paton Distinguished Service Award. This Award annually recognizes a member’s outstanding service contributions to NASSM. The Award is intended to (a) be one of distinction within NASSM and the award recipient's own academic community, and (b) encourage high standards of service to NASSM and other forms of contribution among NASSM's members.

Consistent with the aims of the Award, Dr. Gray has served NASSM in a variety of capacities. Among her many service engagements, she served a three-year stint as President-Elect, President, and Past-President from 2001-2003. During her presidency, she helped to initiate the electronic submission for conference abstracts, helped to formulate the Society’s strategic plan, and developed NASSM’s current mark. She also served as co-Chair, with Dr. Jacquelyn Cuneen, of the NASSM Distinguished Sport Management Educator Award in 2007. And, in 2009, she coordinated, also with Dr. Cuneen, the first NASSM Teaching Fair—a successful program that continues today. Finally, she served as a conference reviewer or program chair from 1998-2008.

Clearly, Dr. Gray has made a significant and meaningful contribution to NASSM by giving selflessly of herself. We, as a Society, are thankful for her service and are very pleased to recognize her as the recipient of the 2010 Dr. Garth Paton Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. Bob Baker (George Mason University) was announced as the 2010 NASSM Distinguished Educator. Dr. Baker had the following to say about receiving the award: “… The fact that this award exists is a testament to NASSM’s comprehensive representation of the sport management discipline. We acknowledge the importance of scholarship, service, and teaching, the central components of the academic life in which we are all engaged. When I consider the many dedicated educators presently in NASSM, being the recipient of this award is truly an honor. I’m passionate about sport management education and as such, to be recognized by my peers (through this award) for my educational contributions is very satisfying. I sincerely appreciate the many people who have made this possible and I encourage everyone to consider nominating one of our many deserving NASSM colleagues in the future. To realize that you are being recognized for having an impact on students, colleagues, and subsequently, the discipline itself, is extremely rewarding”.

As an academician, Dr. Baker has extensive experience in curriculum development, instructional design, and (of course) teaching. During his academic tenure, Dr. Baker has taught thousands of students in ~80 sport management courses, developed approximately 40 unique course preparations, which ranged from a six student graduate seminar to a 120 student introductory undergraduate course. In addition, he has supervised ~140 graduate research projects. Committed to continual improvement, Dr. Baker seeks feedback from students and peers and these evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive reflecting (not only) his level of proficiency but his dedication, enthusiasm, accessibility, knowledge base, and genuine concern for the students. Dr. Baker maintained that he will, “… continue to examine teaching and learning, whether in classroom settings, in individualized research projects, or in field experiences … for example, I served as the advisor for the first two undergraduate student research apprentices in our College, who were selected via an extensive University-wide competition.

As evidenced by their scholarly record and commitment to excellence in the classroom, sport management students in North America are fortunate to be mentored by these outstanding individuals. Formal recognition of their accomplishments will be celebrated at the 2010 NASSM Conference June 1-5, 2010 in Tampa, FL.