SABR Award Leads to Major League Job for Sport Analytics Student John Asel
Sport Management News
Double Play
John Asel, shown here at the 2022 Society for American Baseball Research Analytics Conference, says “The project I presented encapsulates what Falk’s Sport Analytics major teaches: They give you the coding skills to answer questions harnessing big data and emphasize being able to communicate your findings in an understandable way.”
Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca is credited for saying that “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
In other words, we make our own luck. And that’s exactly what Falk College Sport Analytics major John Asel ’23 did this past summer at the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Analytics Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.
Utilizing the preparation and communication skills he learned from his family members and Sport Analytics mentors, Asel received the 2022 Doug Pappas Award for best oral presentation at the conference. Asel also used the opportunity to network and among the industry leaders he met at the conference was Sig Mejdal, assistant general manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
Mejdal was impressed by Asel and remembered his award-winning presentation. Asel subsequently applied for a position with the Orioles and was recently notified that he will start a job in the team’s analytics department in the 2023 baseball season.
(Access Asel’s PowerPoint presentation: Meta Pitch Tracking: How The Changes In Pitch Tracking Technologies Should Change How We Look At The Data They Collect.)
Asel, who is working on additional baseball research with Falk College assistant professor of sport management Jeremy Losak, spent summer 2022 as a performance analytics intern with the Tampa Bay Rays. He says he was confident he had given a strong presentation at the conference but was shocked that he won the award, which is named after the late baseball researcher Doug Pappas.
“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, especially regarding my delivery of the presentation,” Asel says. “Perhaps my favorite compliment was one attendee asking if I was a drama student because I had been so expressive. In our Falk education we hear a lot about the value of being able to communicate the analytics and it was amazing to see firsthand the kind of reception communication can receive.”
We asked Asel to share his experiences from the SABR conference and his thoughts on winning the prestigious award. Here’s what he shared with us:
“This August I attended the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) annual convention in Baltimore. I had attended twice before, even writing about my first experience in my college admissions essay. Everyone’s love for baseball and in-depth research on the most niche topics makes the hotel boardrooms feel like home. Only this year it was different: I was presenting.
“There were nerves leading up to the presentation but as soon as I got going, they all went away. The body language of the audience was positive and there were friendly faces in the front row. My parents, grandmother, and my high school journalism and math teachers had made the drive from Virginia to support me.
“To those faces in the front, I owe a lot of thanks. They had each taken time to indulge my enthusiasm for baseball at various stages. In my parents’ case, they had even helped me with my presentation up to the night before. They were both crucial in encouraging me to submit my research and refine my script. The task of telling a story about data at 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday was daunting and they helped me get over the hump.
“With reflection, the project I presented encapsulates what Falk’s Sport Analytics major teaches: They give you the coding skills to answer questions harnessing big data and emphasize being able to communicate your findings in an understandable way. The value of doing so was well exemplified in the reaction to my presentation.
“As my family was leaving the last panel we planned on attending, I was pulled aside and informed I had won the Doug Pappas Award for the best oral presentation. It was shocking. I thought I had given a strong presentation, but as a first-time presenter I did not have awards on my radar.
“The convention was surreal. Along with my presenting experience, I spoke with Sean Forman, founder of Sports Reference; Mark Armour, president of SABR; Sig Mejdal, assistant general manager of the Baltimore Orioles; and Dan Evans, former general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. A packed weekend to say the least.
“Hopefully, it is the beginning of a long journey in Baltimore as I have accepted an offer to join the Orioles’ analytics department this upcoming season. Funny enough I will be working with Mr. Mejdal to bring a World Series to Baltimore. Go Birds!”
To learn more about the Falk College sport management and sport analytics academic programs, career paths, and experiential learning, visit the Department of Sport Management.
Build, Inspire, Grow
Elena Randolph Receives Michigan Sport Business Conference’s BIG Initiative Award
Falk College student Elena Randolph (fourth from right) was among the winners of the 2022 Michigan Sport Business Conference BIG Initiative Award. She is shown here with fellow winners at Michigan Stadium.
Syracuse University Sport Management major Elena Randolph ’24 was recently named a 2022 BIG Initiative Award Winner by the Michigan Sport Business Conference, an honor presented to 11 high-achieving sport management students in the Unites States and Canada. BIG stands for “Build, Inspire, Grow.”
Randolph attended the prestigious conference Oct. 28-29 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She heard from featured guest speakers and industry professionals, including ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro and WNBA Chief Marketing Officer Phil Cook.
“I am honored to be chosen as a BIG Initiative Award Winner,” Randolph said. “Having the opportunity to attend this conference and connect with students dedicated to being the future leaders of the sport industry was so important to me. I am thankful to have met professionals of color who encouraged me to keep pushing boundaries and creating space for other young professionals of color.”
Launched in 2013, the BIG Initiative annually recognizes outstanding student leaders in sport business who have achieved an exceptional level of success. Each year, the MSBC attracts top applicants from across the nation. Those receiving the honor are selected on the basis of demonstrated entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, and leadership. Nominees must be students with a passion for the sport industry who demonstrate a truly remarkable curriculum vitae.
Randolph attended networking sessions and breakout panels on topics such as sport and fashion, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), and sport storytelling. She also met with representatives from the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA. BIG Initiative winners also attended a Detroit Red Wings game, complete with a facility tour.
“It was amazing to network with representatives from those organizations,” Randolph said. “Working for the NBA is my goal, so it was beneficial to hear from these professionals and learn about opportunities to gain more experience working in basketball.”
Randolph interned with the WNBA in Summer 2022. She previously interned with Syracuse University Athletics in Facilities and Game Operations. Randolph is the President of the Sport Professionals of Color Club and was a 2021 Peer Advisor in Falk College. She studied abroad in London in Spring 2022.
Diane Lyden Murphy Concluding Tenure as Dean
Diane Lyden Murphy, one of Syracuse University’s longest-serving deans, will be concluding tenure as the first Dean of Falk College
A longtime member of the Orange community, Diane Lyden Murphy ’67, G’76, G’78, G’83, dean of the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, has had an impactful, accomplished career at Syracuse University—as a student, faculty member and academic leader. Today, Murphy announced her plans to conclude her tenure as dean at the end of the academic year in 2023. A search for her successor will begin in January 2023.
“Diane has been a force of nature at Syracuse University since she arrived on campus nearly 60 years ago,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “She’s an innovator who inspires and engages others in transformational initiatives. Through her work in sexual and relationship violence, gender equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, Diane has both enhanced the student experience and helped our Orange community become a more welcoming place for students, staff and faculty.”
“In the years I’ve been at Syracuse University, I’ve been incredibly impressed with Diane’s work,” says Vice Chancellor, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Gretchen Ritter. “As a fierce advocate for her college and some of the University’s most important initiatives, she has an extraordinary ability to communicate with and engage others in what is truly important to the University experience. She is highly respected and for good reason because she is a person of high integrity.”
Murphy says serving her alma mater all these years, especially in her most recent role as Falk College dean, has been the honor of a lifetime.
“It has been an extraordinary privilege to be able to integrate my life’s work and focus as an activist scholar, social worker and social policy faculty with a career that articulates this effort in many ways over the years,” Murphy says. “I have built a cherished network of friends and colleagues that focus on matters of social justice and progressive peace work for both the community and the university, and together we have moved these communities forward.”
Appointed as dean of the College of Human Services and Health Professions in 2005, Murphy expanded that college with the Department of Sport Management to create the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics in 2011. Murphy led a successful effort to integrate these disparate but complimentary curricula into one college, which moved into the White Hall-McNaughton Hall complex in 2015, physically bringing their departments together for the first time.
In addition to forging and shaping the Falk College, Murphy established a college Research Center and launched new undergraduate majors and minors, and several graduate programs. Her commitment to global education has resulted in study abroad opportunities throughout the Falk College. Her dedication to accessibility and global outreach led to groundbreaking new online programs, including online graduate programs in social work and marriage and family therapy. She helped create the food studies and sport management majors; launched the nation’s first bachelor’s degree in sport analytics; and integrated the Department of Exercise Science into the college. Murphy also led the creation of Falk’s Department of Public Health, and spearheaded collaborations with other colleges, including the School of Education, the College of Law and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.
Mission-driven and passionate about issues of equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, Murphy believes that progress results from collective wisdom and collective action.
“We’ve learned a lot from the Haudenosaunee women, the Native women who have always led and been a very important voice, but their men lead with them,” says Murphy. “It’s about empowering people, getting people to the table, because collective voices make the best decisions. You need to have people who have different life experiences because they will think about things you wouldn’t have thought about.”
Murphy applied this passion to several critical leadership roles on campus. In August of 2021, she was one of a three-person interim leadership team appointed by Chancellor Syverud to advance the University’s diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) priorities and strategic planning efforts. Murphy also serves as co-chair of the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence, a role she’s held since 2017. And, during former Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw’s tenure, she served as a consultant to him on women’s issues while director of women’s studies. In that role she co-founded the University Senate Committee on Women’s Issues while also co-writing the University’s first Sexual Harassment Policy, Domestic Partnership Policies, Adoption Policies and Gender Equity Studies with the goal of elevating Syracuse’s commitment to a family friendly environment.
Murphy is a four-time Orange alumna. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology, a master of social work degree, a master’s degree in social science and a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary social science, all from Syracuse University. She became a member of the University’s social work faculty in 1978 and also served as director of the women’s studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences from 1989-2005, where it became a department with tenured faculty scholars and built the first B.A. and certificate in women’s studies at Syracuse University. She has also served as an elected faculty member of the Syracuse University Senate since 1980.
Committed to Student Success
Office of Student Services Helps Students Navigate Academic and Personal Challenges
As a non-traditional, first-generation undergraduate student at Syracuse University, Chandice Haste-Jackson excelled academically but always felt there was something missing in her pursuit of knowledge.
That missing piece? Connecting with others.
“Ultimately, I discovered that in connecting with others, I could expand my knowledge and understanding beyond anything I learned from textbooks,” Haste-Jackson says. “That set me on a career journey oriented toward human connection, holistic development, and service, whether that be in fields of teaching, counseling, leadership, or administration.”
This past summer, Haste-Jackson’s lifelong journey of connecting with others continued with her appointment as Associate Dean of the Office of Student Services in Falk College. An associate teaching professor in Falk’s Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), Haste-Jackson previously held several prominent HDFS positions and was chair of the Dean’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. In 2021-22, Haste-Jackson served as Syracuse University’s interim director of the First-Year Seminar course.
Before joining Syracuse University, Haste-Jackson was drawn to work that supported vulnerable populations. It was her job, she says, to help those populations expand their understanding, move from deficit toward sufficiency, and identify what wholeness, health, and stability meant to them and/or their families.
“Was this difficult work at times? Yes!” Haste-Jackson says. “But what I gained from these experiences is that our humanity connects us all, even those who are not like ourselves. We all want similar things–health, happiness, longevity, stability–and that makes us more interconnected than we think we are.”
To introduce Haste-Jackson to Falk students, we asked her to discuss her previous experience with students, the services offered by the Office of Student services, and questions that students might ask. Here’s that conversation:
What attracted you to your new job and why is it important that you’re helping Falk College students succeed?
After 20 years of working in nonprofit organizations and schools, rising through the ranks of direct service to executive leadership and administration, I spent a good deal of time teaching and training frontline employees and college student interns. In working with college student interns, I developed a desire to teach, mentor, and prepare the next generation of human service workers, a field that is very broad but one that involves human connection, holistic development, and service–tenets I live my life by!
Given the climate in which we live in today, college students are dealing with issues that may impact their ability to successfully engage in academic pursuits. The COVID-19 pandemic, mass racial violence, wars, and significant personal losses have impacted academic performance and emotional well-being. Helping students to navigate these challenges during their time with us in Falk College is what I endeavor to do, and I am committed to leading and supporting the professional staff in our office who have made that same commitment to student success.
I’m a first-year or transfer student who isn’t familiar with the Office of Student Services. What are the services you provide?
In your first year at Syracuse University, our office will provide academic counseling and advising around other areas in your life that you identify as being important to your growth as a student in Falk College. Additionally, our office supports career exploration and professional skill development, and offers opportunities for learning through career immersion experiences.
Every first-year and transfer student has an assigned academic counselor, and the Office of Student Services will be one of the first places that you connect with to learn more about your major and all the resources available at Syracuse University.
I’m a student struggling with my classes and I’m not sure if I’ve chosen the right major. How can you help?
This is common for students who are adjusting to the intensity of college-level work. We can help you identify the source/cause of the struggle with your classes and then locate campus resources that you might consider accessing for help.
Sometimes, making a change in how you study, how much time you give to studying, or even where you study is all that may be needed to alleviate the struggle. Sometimes, motivation is at the root of the struggle and subsequently causes you to consider if the major is right or not. We’ll help you to explore and develop a pathway to successful academic performance.
I’m a student having a hard time being away from home and I’ve got personal issues that are getting in the way of my sleep, classwork, and social life. Do I go to you or somewhere else?
You most certainly can meet with your academic counselor to discuss these personal issues. Our academic counselors will listen and help you find the resources that are right for you and meet your needs. You do not have to be alone in trying to address emotional, social, or academic well-being.
We also recommend that students contact the Barnes Center at The Arch and/or Hendricks Chapel for support with any personal issues that arise. We are well-connected to these two resources and support student engagement with their services.
Why is it important for students to see you if they have issues rather than trying to work them out on their own? Isn’t that what college is for, learning how to handle stress?
Absolutely! Learning how to handle stress is an expectation of a college student, yet many students are not prepared for the inherent stress that comes with transitioning to college. During the first year of study or even subsequent years, there are a series of social, emotional, and academic adjustments that must occur for you to be successful as a college student. There will be some new stressors, and some of your past ways of handling stress may not be as effective for you now.
Being proactive in seeking help before something becomes an issue is also something that college students are expected to learn early in their college career. We can help you to learn these skills and support you along the way as you employ them.
Help is Here
The Falk College Office of Student Services is in Suite 330 Barclay Hall. You can visit at any time or schedule an appointment by calling 315.443.3144 or emailing falkss@syr.edu. Visit the Office of Student Services webpage for more information and a complete list of services, important announcements, and staff directory.
Mary Graham Named New Faculty Athletic Representative
Mary E. Graham, professor of sport management in Falk College and an affiliated faculty in the Whitman School of Management, has been named Syracuse University’s new faculty athletic representative (FAR), a critical role ensuring that the student-athlete experience reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to academic excellence and overall student success. Graham was selected from a pool of talented and highly qualified faculty applicants.
“Mary stood out based on her academic research and deep understanding of equity issues in college athletics,” says Chancellor Kent Syverud. “The depth and breadth of her professional experiences—from being a legislative aide, to her research in human resource management, to her advocacy work in the field of gender equity—uniquely qualifies her to be a trusted advisor to me on all things related to the student-athlete experience.”
In her role as FAR, Graham will advise the Chancellor and provost on updates to legislation and policies of the NCAA and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and represent Syracuse University as the voting delegate to the annual NCAA convention. The FAR also acts as liaison between athletics and academics, periodically reporting to the faculty and administration on the academic well-being of student-athletes. Graham will also be responsible for reporting out on the academic preparation and performance of student-athletes for each sports team to the administration, Board of Trustees, Athletics Compliance Committee and head coaches, among others.
“I am extremely honored to be the new faculty athletic representative at Syracuse University,” says Graham. “As the liaison to Syracuse Athletics, the NCAA and the ACC, I will dedicate my efforts to enhancing the academic opportunities, learning and well-being of student-athletes. I look forward to working collaboratively with Chancellor Syverud, Provost Gretchen Ritter and Athletics Director John Wildhack and his team on these efforts.”
Graham has been a faculty member of the Falk College since 2012. She teaches courses in research methods, managing the sport organization, human resource management and organizational behavior at the undergraduate, MBA and executive levels. She recently developed a new undergraduate course, Race, Gender and Diversity in Sport Organizations.
In 2018-20, Graham served as a Provost Faculty Fellow, working with the provost and University Senate to implement shared competencies that ensure all undergraduate students graduate with a defined set of competencies, skills and abilities. Graham and colleagues received national attention for research published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior that examines the relationship between the gender composition of executives among National Football League (NFL) teams and subsequent misconduct by players on those teams. She has completed other studies on the mistreatment of NFL cheerleaders, employment discrimination enforcement policy, and the use of formal pay systems and high-level accountability for reducing employment discrimination. Graham is a co-editor of the Seneca Falls Dialogues Journal and serves on the editorial board of the journal Human Resource Management. She is a member of the Academy of Management and the Labor and Employment Relations Association.
Graham succeeds Rick Burton, David B. Falk Endowed Professor of Practice in Sport Management, who served as FAR since 2014.
“I am grateful for Rick’s hard work on behalf of our University, athletics program and student-athletes,” says Chancellor Syverud. “He has done terrific work advocating on behalf of the Orange community and ensuring our student-athletes have access to the resources, services and opportunities to be successful, both in the classroom and on the playing fields.”
Prior to her faculty appointment at Syracuse University, Graham held faculty positions at Georgia State University, George Washington University and Clarkson University. She has published extensively and has been widely cited in the areas of human resource management (HRM), public policy and employment discrimination, gender in employment and HRM in supply chains. Graham earned a Ph.D. in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and a B.S. in accounting from LeMoyne College, where she played on the women’s soccer team. She also earned her C.P.A. and worked for several members of the U.S. House of Representatives prior to her graduate studies.
Sport Management- Sport Analytics Newsletter highlights students, faculty, staff, alumni and more
The resiliency of Syracuse University students, faculty and staff during the global pandemic was amazing and that same elasticity and adaptability has been evident in the post-pandemic sport industry. The ability to pivot on short notice, adapt to an ever-changing environment and set of parameters, and modify ways of conducting business and communicating with constituents have allowed sports to bounce back far sooner than expected. In May 2022, Falk College’s Department of Sport Management conferred the largest number of degrees in our department’s history with 135 students graduating from Sport Management, Sport Analytics, and our graduate program in Sport Venue and Event Management. Our 2021-2022 Newsletter highlights these students, as well as our faculty, staff, advisory councils and alumni.
Click on the link below to download a PDF copy of the most recent newsletter or view an accessible, text-only version of the Newsletter.
Current Issue – 2021-2022 (PDF)
Dean Murphy Welcomes Falk Students
Dear Falk Students,
Finally, our beautiful campus is packed with energy after the quiet summer months. It’s great to see our returning Falk students—we’re so glad to have you back! Please join me in giving a big Orange WELCOME to the Class of 2026, and to our new transfer and graduate students! Our Falk family just got a whole lot bigger.
As we share in the excitement of a new semester, I want to remind you of some important information that will help you navigate life on campus.
Official Syracuse University Communications
Syracuse University email is the primary communication method at the University. Your professors and University offices will contact you with important information using your Syracuse University email address (ending in “@syr.edu”), not your personal email address. It’s important to read your University email at least once every day so you’re aware of the latest information that’s essential to you.
Public Health Information
Public health remains a critical priority for life on campus. Please review the Fall 2022 Public Health Guidelines. We fully expect all Falk College students to follow University public health guidelines. For public health information and updates, please visit the Stay Safe website, the official source of public health information for Syracuse University. Thank you for doing your part to keep our community safe and healthy.
Student Support Services
Falk College Student Services is an important resource in your support system at Syracuse University. Student Services counselors are here to provide you with academic advising and help you meet your requirements and goals. In addition, they are your resource for private consultation related to student social and emotional concerns. If you have any concerns throughout your academic career, please contact Student Services or visit Suite 330 Barclay Hall in the Falk Complex.
I encourage you to connect with the staff at Falk Career Services, who can help you prepare for life after college through career exploration, internship and job searching, professional networking, and more. They are also located in Suite 330 Barclay Hall, or you can search for opportunities through Handshake, the University’s job search and professional events portal.
In addition, you can connect to spiritual life on campus at Hendricks Chapel, as well as health and counseling services in the Barnes Center at the Arch.
Student Spaces in Falk College
The Student Lounge, located in Falk 216, is available to you anytime the Falk Complex is open. The lounge has a microwave, refrigerator, and vending machines for student use. Across the hall is the Falk Café on 2, open 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Friday starting September 6. Visit the Food Services website for up-to-date operating hours for cafés and dining centers across campus. Just down the hall is Falk 229, the quiet student lounge.
There are several computer labs in the Falk Complex. Falk 113 is a PC lab, and Falk 229 is a quiet study area that has both PCs and Macs available for your use. Both spaces are available to students at any time. Falk 400 and 407 are PC labs that are also used as teaching classrooms. When class is not in session, they are open for student use. You may check their schedule of availability using the 25Live website. You may also use the quick-print stations in Falk 216 and 229 for printing and email. These stations log out automatically after 15 minutes of use.
Ways to Get Involved
The Student Involvement Fair will be held Thursday, September 8, on the Quad from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. There are more than 300 student organizations at Syracuse University. Be sure to explore organizations that might be outside your usual interests, too. Remember, this is a great way to meet new people and discover something new about yourself!
There are many exciting events planned for Fall 2022, including two signature Syracuse University events: Family Weekend October 14-16 and Orange Central, Syracuse University’s annual homecoming and reunion weekend, September 29-October 2. You can discover activities and events on campus by visiting the Syracuse University Calendar.
There are so many ways to connect, express, and grow at Syracuse University, and these are just a few suggestions to get you started. I encourage you to visit the Syracuse University For Students page for more resources and opportunities to make the most of your Syracuse experience.
I wish you the best as you begin (or continue) your Orange story. Best of luck to each of you. We’re excited to see all that you will accomplish this year.
Go Orange!
Diane Lyden Murphy, M.A., M.S.W., Ph.D.
Dean
Falk College
Welcome Class of 2026
Welcome to Syracuse, new Falk College students! The newest Falk students in the Class of 2026 are a talented group from 30 states and 18 global countries. We welcome 386 first-year and 14 transfer students who join new graduate students, 141 in residential programs and 244 online. We’re glad you’re part of the Falk family. Altogether, the Falk College student body is 2,140 strong!
We look forward to meeting with you, your families, and friends at Syracuse Welcome August 25-28, 2022. It will be an exciting time of meeting new classmates and professors, and discovering all that our campus and region have to offer.
Join us for important Falk College welcome events. You can also check out the main Syracuse Welcome website for information on all events surrounding Syracuse Welcome and getting moved in!
Falk College Syracuse Welcome Events:
There are currently no events scheduled, please check back soon.
Falk College Welcomes New Faculty and Staff
Syracuse University’s Falk College is pleased to welcome 14 new staff members who have joined Falk College in the past academic year: Peter Ashworth, Social Work Internship Placement Coordinator; Rebecca Berard, Marriage and Family Therapy Internship Placement Coordinator; Jennifer Coughlin, Social Work Program Manager; Kim Fudge, Admissions Operations Coordinator; RoQueHarmon, Exercise Science Internship Placement Coordinator; Chandice Haste-Jackson, Associate Dean of Student Services; Kara Hughes, Social Work Administrative Assistant; Timothy Lamey, Exercise Science Internship Placement Coordinator; Matt Michael, Communications Manager; Kim Mura, Human Development and Family Science Office Coordinator; Matthew Murphy, Nutrition and Food Studies Procurement Specialist; Beth Perez, Sport Management Internship Placement Coordinator; Ian Richardson, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, and; Tyler Sliker, Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic Director.
In addition, Falk College is pleased to announce 12 new faculty appointments:
- Exercise Science – Kylie Harmon, Kristen Konkol;
- Human Development and Family Science – Ashleigh Jones;
- Marriage and Family Therapy – Tristan Martin, Tracey Reichert Schimpff;
- Nutrition and Food Studies – Naomi Shanguhyia;
- School of Social Work – Nadaya Brantley, Ting Guan, Joseph Smith, Aviva Vincent;
- Sport Management – Lindsey Darvin, Jason Maddox, Adrian Simion
Kylie Harmon
Assistant Professor, Exercise Science
Kylie Harmon joins the Department of Exercise Science as an assistant professor. Her position is part of the Aging, Behavioral Health, and Neuroscience research cluster.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Harmon was a graduate research assistant at the University of Central Florida (UCF) within the School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy. There, she taught undergraduate kinesiology classes in exercise science, assessment techniques, and health and wellness. While at UCF, she also served as the research coordinator of the Neuromuscular Plasticity Laboratory within the Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science. During her M.S. studies, she was the Human Performance Laboratory director within the Department of Kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton.
Harmon’s research focuses on understanding the neuromuscular adaptations that occur in response to aging, immobilization/disuse, fatigue, and strength training, with an emphasis on both changes in motor unit behavior and alterations in the corticospinal pathway. She is particularly interested in how to best preserve muscular strength during periods when resistance training is not feasible, such as during illness, injury, or immobilization.
During her doctoral studies, Harmon was awarded a Richard Tucker Gerontology Applied Research Grant from the University of Central Florida Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE) Group to support her research in older adults. To support her dissertation project, Harmon was awarded the University of Central Florida Graduate Dean’s Completion Fellowship.
Harmon was named recipient of the University of Central Florida Division of Kinesiology Doctoral Scholar Award and Graduate Writing Award supported by the American Kinesiology Association. She is an active member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and was awarded both the NSCA Foundation’s Women’s Scholarship and Challenge Scholarship.
Harmon earned a Ph.D. in education, exercise physiology track, from the University of Central Florida in 2022, preceded by a M.S. in kinesiology from California State University, Fullerton, in 2016, and a B.A. in Russian studies from Binghamton University in 2013. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Kristen Konkol
Associate Teaching Professor, Exercise Science
Kristin Konkol is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Exercise Science. She teaches courses such as structural kinesiology for performance enhancement and injury prevention, structural kinesiology, scientific principles of conditioning, and concepts of fitness. She also runs the internship and experience credits for the department.
She joined Falk College as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Konkol has served as Assistant Professor since 2018, and formerly as part-time faculty. Previously, Konkol was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Performance, Exercise Science/ Physiology at the Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she taught courses such as individualized exercise, aerobic conditioning, and concepts of fitness, among others. She also held an adjunct faculty position there, as well as coaching positions at the Gustavus Adolphus College.
At the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa, Konkol held several titles, including lecturer, lab instructor, manager in the Human Performance Laboratory, and performance specialist for professional athletes. Konkol’s research interests include sport specific training; speed, agility, and quickness training; athletic performance testing; strength and conditioning; exercise immunology; and global perspectives in human performance. Konkol’s work is published in the Cardiovascular Journal of Africa, Sport Sciences for Health, Children, Sports and Exercise Medicine Open Journal, and International Journal of Exercise Science.
Konkol currently serves at Syracuse University as the I-Move Program Coordinator and Dance Minor Coordinator. From 2004 to 2006, she served as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Guyana and South America. Konlol is a Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Konkol earned her Ph.D. in Sports Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa in 2013.
She earned an M.A. in Kinesiology with an Exercise Physiology emphasis and a graduate minor in Complementary and Alternative Therapy and Healing Practices. She earned her B.S. in Exercise Science with a Cardiac Rehabilitation emphasis from the University of Toledo, where she was a Division I collegiate basketball athlete.
Ashleigh Jones
Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Ashleigh Jones joins the Department of Human Development and Family Science as an assistant teaching professor. She teaches classes in human sexuality and intimate relationships.
Jones has over 10 years of teaching experience and has taught courses across various subjects spanning multiple disciplines at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As an educator, Ashleigh takes immense pride in creating an informative and engaging classroom environment in which students are encouraged to control their own learning experience. Dr. Jones leverages her extensive teaching experience with novel teaching pedagogies to create an immersive and collaborative teaching environment to help future scholars and practitioners apply theory to practice. Recent courses she has taught include families in crisis, cross-cultural research, adolescents and their families, mental health, and human sexuality.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Jones was an instructor at Texas Tech University in 2020 in the Departments of Human Development and Family Sciences and Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences. Prior to Texas Tech, while completing her graduate degrees, she served as an instructor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, teaching courses for the Department of Community Health from 2010-2017.
In addition, Jones worked as an academic coach with Disabilities Resource Education Services at the University of Illinois from 2012-2017. In this role, she worked directly with students and conducted needs assessments; offered career counseling; and created, implemented, and facilitated several skill-based workshops and trainings for students, staff, and faculty across the university campus.
Jones earned a Ph.D. in 2019, an M.S. in 2011, and a B.S. (with honors) in 2008, all from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Tristan Martin
Assistant Teaching Professor, Marriage and Family Therapy
Tristan Martin joins the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy as an assistant teaching professor. He teaches classes in family therapy, including sexual issues for the helping professional.
Prior to Fall 2022, Martin was an adjunct instructor both in Marriage and Family Therapy and Human Development and Family Science at Syracuse University.
Martin’s research focuses on transgender sexuality with the intersections of relational and erotic diversity. He has presented at multiple national conferences and contributed to publications in the field of family therapy and transgender issues, including the “Handbook of LGBTQ-Affirmative Couple and Family Therapy” and “Sexual and Relationship Therapy.”
Martin was a recipient of the Summer Dissertation Fellowship at Syracuse University in 2019 for his dissertation “Transgender Congruence and Sexual Satisfaction in Trans Masculine Adults: The Role of Affirmative Sexual Partners.”
Martin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and AASECT-certified Sex Therapist. His clinical work focuses on providing support for the LGBTQ community, with specialization in supporting gender transition for youth and adults.
Martin earned a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Syracuse University in 2020, a Certificate of Advanced Study in Sex Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 2020, a master’s degree in family therapy from Mercer University in 2016, and a B.A. (with honors) in 2014 from Huntingdon College.
Tracey Reichert Schimpff
Associate Teaching Professor, Marriage and Family Therapy
Tracey Reichert Schimpff is an associate teaching professor in the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy. She teaches supervision in marriage and family therapy for doctoral students and practicum courses for the master’s program.
Reichert Schimpff has been the director of clinical services for Marriage and Family Therapy since 2013 and served as the clinic supervisor from 2008 to 2013. Prior to working at Syracuse University, Reichert Schimpff was the director of family services at The Salvation Army in Syracuse. She held several clinical and administrative roles in the non-profit organization from 1998 to 2008.
Reichert Schimpff’s focus has been on child welfare and the treatment of trauma. Her research explored therapists’ experiences of trauma and the role of compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction. She is also interested in developing community collaborations to increase access to mental health care.
She has collaborated on scholarly articles and grants in the areas of community violence, trauma, and maternal mental health.
Reichert Schimpff has served as chair of the Supervisor Committee, Clinic Committee, Handbook Committee and Clinical Readiness Committee in the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy. She also provides supervision mentorship to supervisor candidates in the Central New York area.
Reichert Schimpff earned a Ph.D. from Syracuse University in 2019 and an M.A. from SU in 1996. She received a B.S. from LeMoyne College in 1993. Reichert Schimpff is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Clinical Fellow of AAMFT, and an Approved Supervisor.
Naomi Shanguhyia
Associate Teaching Professor, Nutrition and Food Studies
Naomi Shanguhyia joins Nutrition and Food Studies as an associate teaching professor. She teaches classes in contemporary food issues, global food politics, and oversees the undergraduate and graduate practicums.
Prior to joining Falk College, Shanguhyia was the associate director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program, where from 2019 to 2022 she oversaw the program’s curriculum and day-to-day operations and taught a course on food security in Africa. She was also a part-time instructor in the Geography and the Environment Department in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, where she taught a class on geographies of hunger, and a faculty affiliate in the international relations program. From 2012 to 2014, Shanguhyia was a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability at SUNY Oneonta, where she taught courses in introductory geography, food, society and environment, and gender geography. In 2014, Shanguhyia joined the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University as a post-doctoral faculty fellow and taught writing-intensive seminars focusing on the themes of food, society, gender, and environment.
Shanguhyia’s research focuses on the global and local processes that intersect to shape food, nutrition, and health outcomes among communities in Africa south of the Sahara. Her dissertation research, which was funded by an NSF DDRI grant, examined the impact of environmental and economic change on food and livelihood security among rural communities in western Kenya. Her previous work, which is published in Human Geography: A Radical Journal, analyzed the politics of chronic hunger in arid and semi-arid areas in northern Kenya. She has presented her work at the annual conferences of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) and the Association for the Study of Food & Society (ASFS), the Cornell University International Studies Summer Institute Workshop, and other forums.
Shanguhyia holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in geography from West Virginia University and a B.Ed. and M.Ed. from Kenyatta University, Kenya.
Nadaya Brantley
Assistant Teaching Professor, Social Work
Nadaya Brantley joined the School of Social Work as an assistant teaching professor in Spring 2022. She teaches courses in introductory social work and social welfare policy and serves as the baccalaureate of social work program director.
She joined Syracuse University as a member of the field office in January 2011 as an internship placement coordinator and previously served as the assistant director of BSSW field education in Falk College, School of Social Work Field Education Office. She is a New York State Licensed Master Social Worker. Her practice areas include work with adolescents, developmental disabilities, mental health, and incarcerated populations.
As a systems thinker, she believes that, in the words of Bell Hooks, “there must exist a paradigm, a practical model for social change that includes an understanding of ways to transform consciousness that are linked to efforts to transform structures.” Brantley’s research interests include exploring intersectional identities and educational equity in higher education through a critical race theory lens.
Brantley serves on several department committees and as an advisor for several student organizations, including SU-NAACP, SU-Special Olympics of New York, Social Worker’s United, and the Juvenile Urban Mentoring Program (J.U.M.P. Nation).
She received a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s of social work (M.S.W.) degree from Syracuse University. She is currently a doctoral student in the Cultural Foundations of Education in the Syracuse University School of Education.
Ting Guan
Assistant Professor, Social Work
Ting Guan joins the School of Social Work as an assistant professor. She will teach courses on foundations of social work research.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Guan was a Ph.D. candidate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work, where she also served as a research assistant, working with faculty in the School of Social Work, School of Nursing, and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center on federally funded work related to integrated health care and cancer care. Guan has over eight years of clinical experience in hospital settings as a medical social worker in China.
Guan’s research focuses on developing and evaluating family-based psychosocial interventions to improve cancer patient and caregiver quality of life through collaborative and interdisciplinary social work practice in healthcare settings. She has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles in academic journals, including Psycho-Oncology, Supportive Care in Cancer, Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, Social Work in Health Care, and Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research.
Guan’s dissertation research was supported by a Royster Dissertation Completion Fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2021.
Her work has been recognized and funded by the Association of Oncology Social Work, Society for Social Work and Research, and Association of American Medical Colleges. In 2015, Guan was awarded China’s Most Dedicated Social Worker Award, a prestigious national award for social work practitioners.
Guan earned a Ph.D. in social work in 2022 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work, a master’s degree in social welfare in 2009 from Peking University, and a bachelor’s degree in social work in 2006 from China Youth University for Political Studies.
Joseph Smith
Associate Teaching Professor, School of Social Work
Joseph Smith joined the School of Social Work as an associate teaching professor in Spring 2022 and serves as the college online MSW program liaison. He teaches classes in applied research in social work, psychopathology, and alcohol and other drugs in social work practice.
Prior to his full-time faculty appointment at Syracuse University, Smith served as an adjunct faculty member in both the BSSW and MSW programs since 2010. He was heavily involved in online curriculum development and teaching in various content areas. Additionally, Smith comes to this position following 25 years of administrative and teaching experience as Department Chair of Chemical Dependency Counseling and Human Services at SUNY Tompkins Cortland Community College.
Smith has practiced as a licensed clinical social worker and Master CASAC in a wide range of social work settings, including adult psychiatric inpatient, substance abuse outpatient and residential, and children’s psychiatric outpatient programs. Smith has interests in trauma-informed and evidence-based strategies, psychodynamic interventions, and culturally responsive practice.
His research interests focus on the areas of mental health and student success, substance use on college campuses, and academic achievement and job placement with underrepresented and minority college students. Smith’s work has been supported by a Perkins Grant from Assertive Community Intervention and Guided Pathways aimed at providing intrusive and structured supports for undergraduate students experiencing academic difficulties; a New York State OASAS College Environmental Prevention Grant aimed at preventing/reducing underage alcohol and drug use on college campuses; and an ALANA Scholarship Grant from the Park Foundation aimed at increasing educational opportunities and job placement for underrepresented and minority students.
Smith has previously served as an MSW Research/Thesis Advisor at Smith College School for Social Work in Northampton, Massachusetts. He also consults and work with NYS OASAS as a statewide trainer in the areas of ethics, cultural competency, and clinical supervision.
Smith earned a Ph.D. in social work from Smith College School for Social Work in 2006, a master’s of social work (M.S.W.) degree from Syracuse University, and a B.S. in psychology from Utica College.
Aviva Vincent
Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Social Work
Aviva Vincent joins the School of Social Work as an assistant teaching professor. She teaches classes in the online master of social work (M.S.W.) degree program.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Vincent was the program director at Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center, a premiere accredited PATH Intl. facility in Ohio. She was also an adjunct at the University of Connecticut and Case Western Reserve University. She is an instructor of animal-assisted interventions at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in its Veterinary Social Work Certificate Program and has served as the program’s community engagement coordinator. Vincent is co-owner of the only Veterinary Social Work private practice in Northeast Ohio, Healing Paws LLC.
Vincent’s research focuses on the bi-directional physiological impact of human-animal interaction. She has published over 15 peer-reviewed publications, of which she is the first author of nine. She is also a contributor to The Comprehensive Guide to Interdisciplinary Veterinary Social Work; Integrating Horses into Healing; The Handbook on Human Animal Interactions, Interventions, and Anthrozoology; and Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists.
Vincent recently concluded a study as a co-investigator, Reining in Anxiety, which tested a 10-week manualized CBT-based curricula in adaptive riding sessions. Vincent has also completed research exploring the impact of equine assisted services toward the promotion of mindfulness for veterans. Currently, she is leading a local pilot of the Man O’War Project, a curriculum developed in partnership with Columbia University and PATH Intl. Subsequent research has been supported by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research (Spit Camp, 2017). Later in 2017, Vincent was a recipient of an inaugural fellowship to the Animals and Society Institute for pre-doctoral candidates.
Vincent was awarded a Doctoral Program Research Fellowship from 2015-19 from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. During her tenure, she received the Phi Beta Kappa Research Award (2018), Dr. Dorothy Pijan Student Leadership Award (2018), and Verhosek Fund Award (2016). Prior to her doctoral career, Vincent received the Next Generation Leadership Award (30 under 30) in 2014 from the National Afterschool Association. Vincent is president of the International Association of Veterinary Social Work, board of trustee member for PATH Intl., and an advisory member for the Center for Human Animal Interaction Research and Education at The Ohio State University.
Vincent earned a Ph.D. in 2019 from Case Western Reserve University in social welfare with a concentration in veterinary social work, including a Veterinary Social Work Certificate from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 2017. Vincent is a Licensed Social Worker in the state of Ohio and has completed specialized training as a Certified Therapeutic Riding instructor (2016), Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (2019), and Equine Services for Heroes (2018). She has also completed Green Dot Bystander Training (2018), Sustained Dialogue (2018), LGBTQ+ Safe Zone Training (2015), and the Institute For Social Change and Harwood Institute (2012). She earned a master of social work degree in community organizing in 2011, and a B.A. from University of Massachusetts at Amherst in social thought and political economy in 2007. In her undergraduate studies she also completed a semester abroad at the University of Limerick.
Lindsey Darvin
Assistant Professor, Sport Management
Lindsey Darvin joins the Department of Sport Management as an assistant professor. She will teach classes in research methods and race, gender, and society in sport.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Darvin was an assistant professor from 2018-22 at the State University of New York College at Cortland, where she taught sport ethics, athlete development, and administration of sport.
Darvin’s research centers around the themes of sport industry and esport industry gender equity, with a particular focus on seeking to combat the underrepresentation of women leaders and women and girl participants at the intercollegiate and professional levels of sport and esport competition. She has published in refereed journals across a variety of academic segments in the areas of management, sociology, vocational behavior, organizational behavior, communications, and sustainability science. Her research has been featured across a variety of media platforms, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New York Daily News, Inside Higher Education, and SB Nation. Darvin was co-editor of a special issue in the Journal of Athlete Development and Experience (JADE), released March 2022, that focused on NCAA Division III athlete wellbeing and experience. Recently, Darvin served as an author of the Women’s Sport Foundation 2022 collaborative report, “50 Years of Title IX: We’re Not Done Yet.”
Subsequent research has been supported by SUNY Faculty Research Program awards in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Professor Darvin serves on the editorial board of several peer-referred journals, including the Sport Management Education Journal (SMEJ), the Journal of Athlete Development and Experience (JADE), and the Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports (JEGE). Darvin is a member of the Dell Technologies Research Collective and the North American Society of Sport Management, and she serves on the steering committee for the PNC Bank Pittsburgh Knights women in esport group. In Spring 2019, Darvin created and advised the first women in sport management group on the campus of SUNY Cortland.
Darvin earned a Ph.D. in sport management in 2018 from the University of Florida, an M.S. in sport management in 2014 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a B.A. in political science in 2012 from Bryn Mawr College.
Jason Maddox
Assistant Professor, Sport Analytics
Jason Maddox joined the Department of Sport Management as an assistant professor in Spring 2022. He teaches sport data analysis and R for sport analytics.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Maddox was a student at Baylor University earning his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D., all in statistical science. While a doctoral candidate, he taught introduction to statistics courses and focused research on sport analytics. Maddox also served in the front office of the San Diego Padres as a research and development intern during the summer of 2019.
Maddox’s research focus is on sports data analysis in R, using methods such as regression, machine learning, and Bayesian analysis. His dissertation was focused on creating in-game win probability models for basketball and football.
Maddox earned a Ph.D. in 2022, an M.S. in 2018, and a B.S. in 2016, all in statistical science from Baylor University.
Adrian Simion
Instructor, Sport Analytics
Adrian Simion joins the Department of Sport Management as an instructor. He teaches classes on python programming for web scraping and statistical analysis.
Prior to joining Syracuse University, Simion was a graduate student at Wayne State University from 2017 to 2022, pursuing his Ph.D. in economics with a focus in econometrics. He taught principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics, intermediate macroeconomics, and intermediate econometrics during his time there. He was also a research assistant working on sport management research projects.
Simion’s research is in applied econometrics and sport management. His thesis is on external imbalances and their ability in predicting future exchange rate movements. His sport-related research has been on the impact of college football on the surrounding lodging industry, and the NCAA transfer portal and its impact on the welfare of transferring athletes.
Simion was awarded the Nancy S. Barrett Endowed Prize in Applied Economics in 2021 for his thesis work.
Simion is a Ph.D. candidate in economics at Wayne State University. He earned a M.A. in economics from Wayne State University in 2022 and earned a B.A. in mathematics from Michigan State University in 2016.
Dancing On Air
Falk Graduate ‘Tobi’ Joshuasville Working His Way to Top of Sports Industry
Tobi Joshuasville (second from left) and other students in the Sport Venue and Event Management graduate program hosted the “Future’s Lax Bash” this past spring to benefit Jimmer Szatkowski (in front) and the Tackle ALS organization. To the far right is Falk Associate Professor Gina Pauline, who assists SVEM students with an annual charity event.
When Oluwatobiloba “Tobi” Joshuasville was in sixth grade, he didn’t tell his mother about a school dance because he was shy about mingling with his classmates.
But his mother, Bolanle Onikosi, found out about the dance from Joshuasville’s younger brother and persuaded Tobi to go.
“When I asked him, he said he didn’t want to bother me about the money (for the dance), but no, he just didn’t want to mingle,” Onikosi says, laughing. “When he came back, he was really excited. Being sociable was something he picked up because he wasn’t that kind of kid.”
Indeed, that would be the last time Joshuasville would need a push into anything. As he grew older, there wasn’t an internship he wouldn’t apply for, an opportunity to help others he wouldn’t take on, or a challenge to improve his skills that he wouldn’t accept.
At times working and going to school 22 hours a day, Joshuasville realized his dream of attending Syracuse University as a graduate student in the Sport Venue and Event Management (SVEM) program in Falk College. He graduated from Syracuse this past spring and is now a postgraduate intern with the NCAA, an extension of a spring internship when he worked for the NCAA’s men’s basketball championship staff.
In that role, one of Joshuasville’s many duties was handing the 2022 championship trophy to University of Kansas coach Bill Self. That presentation ended the NCAA Tournament, which is also known as the “Big Dance.”
When it comes to dances, Joshuasville has come a long way.
“My idol is (basketball legend) Kobe Bryant, and even if he knew something was going to be difficult, he was going to find a way to see it through and make sure it came out in his favor, no matter what,” Joshuasville says. “That’s something I take into account when I do anything.
“If I’m supposed to be at work at 8 o’clock, I’m coming at least 15 minutes early. I’m doing things that probably nobody else wants to do. If I can’t sleep, I can’t sleep, I’ll find some time to sleep later on,” he adds. “If you want to be successful, you have to sacrifice some things and that’s what I’ve learned.”
‘Make Her Smile’
Joshuasville learned about sacrifice from his mother, who moved her family from Lagos, Nigeria, to the United States for “better pastures” when Joshuasville was 18 months old and Onikosi was pregnant with her second of three boys. They initially moved to Queens in New York City before settling outside of Philadelphia in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, where Onikosi found a job as a bank teller and worked other jobs to help make ends meet (she now works in risk management for WSFS Bank).
“I made an investment in myself going to school and I want to make sure that it pays off because my mom sacrificed so much and put so many things on the line for me,” Joshuasville says. “I want to be successful and continue to make her smile.”
Joshuasville is a huge basketball fan and watching Syracuse University’s run to the 2016 Final Four cemented the Orange as his favorite team. He wanted to attend Syracuse following high school, but his grades weren’t strong enough, so he enrolled at Delaware County Community College in Media, Pennsylvania.
From there, he transferred to Rosemont College in nearby Rosemont, Pennsylvania, in large part because a friend who was playing basketball at Rosemont encouraged Joshuasville to try out for the team. Joshuasville had been cut from his high school team for four years and didn’t make the team at Rosemont on his first try, but in a sign of what was to come for him at Rosemont he became the team’s first-ever walk-on player in his second year at the school.
In the fall of 2018, Joshuasville was taking a sport management class taught by Professor Christine Hagedorn, who made her students aware of an internship that was available in the Rosemont athletic department. Joshuasville says his “eyes lit up” and he eagerly volunteered for the internship because he wanted to find out if a career in sports was for him.
It was.
‘Let Me Try That’
With Hagedorn as his advisor, Joshuasville continued to learn about other internships and eventually landed his next one with the Villanova University athletic department from August through December 2019. And in January 2020, he was one of about 400 students–out of thousands of applicants–who were selected to participate in the NCAA Division III Student Immersion Program for minority student-athletes in Anaheim, California.
Next to his mother, Joshuasville says Hagedorn has been the biggest influence in his life. He sat in her office for hours and asked questions as they brainstormed any opportunity–from volunteering to internships to fellowships–that would put Joshuasville in a position to gain skills and knowledge.
“I offer these opportunities to every student in the class, but he’s the one that always said yes, let me try that,” Hagedorn says. “Tobi applied for things that were real stretches, but what’s the worst that can happen? They can say no, but enough people said yes.”
While he was interning at Villanova from 5 a.m. to noon, Joshuasville was a full-time student working toward his sport management degree, playing on the basketball team, and working at Insomnia Cookies until 1 or 2 a.m. every day. He says there were nights he wouldn’t sleep at all, or sleep in a chair so he wouldn’t fall into a deep sleep.
Through it all, Joshuasville found time to create what he called “Operation Smile” to benefit cancer patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The mission, he says, was to make the children smile by collecting hand-written notes of encouragement from current and former Rosemont basketball players; deliver stickers, water bottles and other souvenirs from Rosemont to the children; and raise money for the hospital. Joshuasville did his part by raising $1,000 through the sale of his sneakers (“I’m a big sneaker guy,” he says).
Not surprisingly, Joshuasville was awarded the 2021 Patti K. McClatchy Award that is presented to the Rosemont student who shows the upmost spirit and courage.
“Tobi’s not trying to do things for himself to be great at something. Everything he does he’s trying to do to help people along the way,” Hagedorn says. “Sports is a vehicle for which he can do what his heart is being called to do, which is to be of service and bring smiles and ease suffering for others because that’s what’s really important to him.”
‘Hysterically Happy’
On a snowy day in the winter of 2021, Joshuasville called Hagedorn to see if she was in her office, but she was heading to a meeting across campus. As she went outside, Hagedorn spotted Joshuasville racing through the snow in shorts and a T-shirt, waving his phone.
He had applied to Syracuse University for graduate school and the emailed answer was on his phone, but he was too nervous to open it. He handed the phone to Hagedorn, who read the email and told Joshuasville he had been accepted. They both started crying tears of joy, and Joshuasville called his mother.
“The day he got admitted to Syracuse was the happiest day of his life,” Onikosi says. “Oh my gosh, the phone call was like, ‘Mom, you won’t believe it.’ He couldn’t speak he was so excited and shaking. I’ve never seen him that hysterically happy.”
As he had done at Rosemont, Joshuasville made the most of his year at Syracuse. Although he would later fulfill his practicum requirement with the NCAA in the spring, Joshuasville spent a great deal of his time at Syracuse working for the athletic department as an athletic facilities and event operations graduate intern.
In that role, Joshuasville assisted the planning of the ACC Field Hockey Championship and College Hockey America Championship, and was involved in game management for field hockey, tennis, men’s soccer, and men’s lacrosse.
“From day one, Tobi has been an active participant in the SVEM program,” says Jeff Pauline, an associate professor of sport management who served as director of the SVEM master’s program from 2016 until recently. “He has a passion for working in the sport industry and this is very apparent as he seeks out internships and in his work ethic.”
As part of SVEM program, the graduate students are required to organize a charity event and this past spring they hosted the “Future’s Lax Bash” at the JMA Wireless Dome. More than 100 female youth lacrosse players from local clubs participated in activities on the Dome turf and the event raised $5,000 to benefit Tackle ALS, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for the neuromuscular disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The students chose that charity because of the University’s relationship with local businessman Jimmer Szatkowski, who owns two Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Syracuse area and is an ardent supporter of Syracuse women’s lacrosse. Knowing Szatkowski likes Vans sneakers, the students purchased a pair of white Vans for him and asked all the young lacrosse players and their parents to sign their names in red “so it looked like a Chick-fil-A sneaker,” Joshuasville says.
“I feel like you should always have time to do something for someone else,” Joshuasville says. “I know how I grew up with people actually believing in me, and I think why not give that belief, that faith, to other people.”
‘Stay Determined and Stay Motivated’
In December 2021, Joshuasville learned he had received the NCAA internship that he had applied for in September. And in late March, he flew to New Orleans in advance of the Final Four and assisted with a variety of events, including tours and meetings for future Final Four hosts, basketball committee alumni meetings, basketball committee family hospitality events, and the championship trophy presentation.
As a postgraduate intern for the NCAA, Joshuasville is now working from the national office in Indianapolis, Indiana, where his next projects include the 2024 Final Four logo launch in Phoenix later this year and a Final Four student-athlete family brunch that the NCAA will host at the 2023 Final Four in Houston.
While he’s in Indiana, Joshuasville is hoping to land a job with the NBA to get a feel for what it’s like to work for a professional team. He intends to go back to school to get a sports law degree and to help realize his ultimate dream of working for Kobe Bryant’s former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, Joshuasville is planning to take an NCAA professional development trip to Los Angeles before his internship ends.
And in the little spare time he might have, Joshuasville is continuing a podcast he started in July 2020 amid the pandemic and social unrest following the murder of George Floyd. He calls the podcast Kicking it with Tob.
“I saw that people were on edge, and I wanted to speak on how everyone should keep a positive mindset, stay determined, and stay motivated,” Joshuasville says. “Bad things are only temporary; you need to stay strong and fight through it.”
Clearly, Joshuasville has practiced what he preaches. Through his positive attitude and determination, he has worked himself into the center of the dance floor of life.
“He is a good son, a good brother, a good friend,” says his mother, Onikosi. “He’s really worked so hard to get where he is today, and I hope and pray he’s able to live a good life and achieve his dreams.”
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