Sport Management  News

New Research: NFL Teams with Women Executives Have Fewer Player Arrests

Keeping players on the field and out of the courtroom is key for a team’s success. A new study provides a possible pathway to reduce off-the-job player misconduct and it starts at the top. The researchers, Profs. Mary Graham and Bhavneet Walia from Syracuse University along with Chris Robinson from Tulane University, have concluded that teams which employ more women in executive level positions experience significantly fewer player arrests.

“Serious off-the-job misconduct by high-profile employees is not uncommon in professional sport team organizations, media and entertainment firms, and public-facing institutions, said Graham, Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University’s Falk College and lead author on the study. “Our research suggests that firms searching for preventive and remedial solutions to misconduct should consider a basic structural solution to this problem: ensuring that there is a critical mass of women on the top management team.”

“Our findings also have implications for organizations beyond those employing professional sport players, particularly visible organizations with high-profile employees, such as media and entertainment companies; and public-facing entities such as courts, schools, and government entities,” said Walia, an Assistant Professor of Public Health. “One of our goals was to shed light on organizational factors which might prevent, redress, or ameliorate instances of off-the-job misconduct by high-profile employees, including in the NFL.”

Among the study’s key findings:

• Having a critical mass of women executives is associated with a reduction in player arrests of 21% for that team organization. Put differently, a critical mass of women executives (two or more) was associated with 0.33 fewer arrests.
• The likelihood that a team, in any given season, experiences a player arrest is 15.4% lower for team organizations with a critical mass of women executives.
• Also examined: the relationship between a critical mass of executives who are racial/ethnic minorities and player arrests. They found no relationship between having a critical mass of minority executives and player arrests.” However, the authors speculate that the low numbers of minority executives might make it difficult to discern any effects.

“No studies have examined the relationship between gender diverse management teams and employee misconduct,” said Robinson, a sports law attorney who is also a member of the research team. “We argue that the gender diversity of organizations’ executive ranks has the potential to shape organization-level culture and norms of behavior that could influence employee conduct. Greater gender diversity also has the potential to shift strategic priorities and improve decision making.”
The study is in-press in the Journal of Organizational Behavior. More information is available at the study website.

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Congratulations to SPM, SAL and SVEM Class of 2020 graduates

With the conclusion of the 2019-20 academic year, we recognize and commend all of our students who excelled in their courses and also made contributions outside of class in the areas of service, leadership, research and scholarship. For those graduating in the Class of 2020, we wish you well and know you have what it takes to bring about change in the places you work and live. Falk College looks forward to learning about your accomplishments and how you are making a difference.

The Department of Sport Management congratulates the following award winners honored for excellence in these areas:

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SPM Newsletter highlights how department persevered through 2020’s challenges

We welcomed a new decade with innovative ideas and graduated our largest class of students in May 2020, but even with the excitement surrounding major milestones, this new chapter did not unfold as we – or anyone – had planned. Find out how our students, faculty, staff and alumni embraced virtual learning and remote employment.

2019-2020 SPM Newsletter

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Closer to Home, Students Expect to Go Far

It was winter 2020 and six Corcoran High School seniors had some big decisions to make. Their final year in the Syracuse City School District (SCSD) was winding down, the new coronavirus was changing life as they knew it and their college destinations needed to be finalized. Marwa Abedrabbah, Bobby Cecile, Sam Livingston, Connor Shanahan, Joey Sojewicz and Kyle Tran—all high-achieving students and outstanding athletes—had nearly unlimited college options. Acceptance letters had come from Fordham, Northeastern, Notre Dame, Rochester Institute of Technology and other reputable colleges, and the opportunity to venture far from home was both appealing and intimidating. They weighed their options, did some soul searching and went with the school that was closest to their homes and their hearts.

All six chose Syracuse University.

And three choose Falk College, Joey Sojewicz, Bobby Cecile and Connor Shanahan.

Shanahan, Corcoran High School’s 2020 valedictorian, says it was the opportunity to major in sport analytics at Falk College that tipped the scale toward Syracuse. “It’s a very unique program, and I want to have a career that I am really passionate about,” he says. “I also feel like it’s important to stay close to family and friends during this uncertain time.”

Sojewicz and Cecile also chose Falk College; Sojewicz will study sport management and Cecile is undecided about his major. “I want to have a career that involves working with a professional sports league, and I believe that Falk College will help me get there,” he says.

All of the Corcoran graduates had a powerful motivation for choosing Syracuse University: Each one will receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship through the Say Yes to Education program. This partnership between the SCSD and Syracuse University began in 2008 to address issues like poverty, dropout rates and educational deficits in the urban school community. Since that time, more than $10 million in scholarships and grants has been awarded and $120 million in state, federal and institutional aid has been leveraged. SCSD students do not get special consideration for admission, but they do have a strong incentive to stay on track academically. “That’s almost impossible to turn down,” says Cecile.

Diversity Matters

The students all believe that attending urban schools with a wide range of racial and socioeconomic disparity in the student body has given them good preparation for life on a diverse college campus.

“I got a great education at the SCSD schools,” says Shanahan, a National Merit finalist. “The teachers and staff are really interested in helping the students, and it’s reflected in a strong community.” Shanahan is this year’s recipient of the 1870 Scholarship, the highest recognition offered by Syracuse University’s Office of Admissions. Named for the year of the University’s founding, it recognizes academic and personal accomplishments, community service and demonstrated caring for others.

“When it comes to the quality of the Syracuse City School District, I give it a 10 out of 10,” says Sojewicz. “It’s excellent!” He is a recipient of Syracuse University’s Chancellor’s Scholarship, which recognizes academic achievement based on credentials, performance on standardized tests, class rank, leadership and citizenship.

Corcoran High School offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB), a challenging academic curriculum recognized by some of the world’s leading universities. All three students took part in IB, which required them to take higher-level classes and fulfill core requirements like an extended essay and theory of knowledge course to broaden their educational experience. “It really made me college-ready and I believe it has put me in a position to be successful,” says Cecile.

It’s not just academics they’re excited about. “I want to take advantage of all the experiences that are available to me, like study abroad and internships,” says Sojewicz. “I want to make friendships and connections that will last a lifetime,” says Shanahan.

Sports and Hobbies

The students have followed Syracuse University athletics with great passion most of their lives, and all have distinguished themselves in that arena. Sojewicz and Shanahan were captains of Corcoran’s cross country team, and also took part in indoor and outdoor track. Cecile was a varsity lacrosse player, and earned the prestigious Coach’s Award.

“Bobby was a key player as an attackman junior year and was going to be a huge part of our offense senior year,” says Matt Dowd, Corcoran’s varsity lacrosse coach. “Unfortunately they missed out on these opportunities due to the COVID-19 virus.” Cecile also played basketball and soccer at Corcoran and hopes to play club lacrosse at Syracuse this year.

For Shanahan, a fascination with robotics will be well served at Syracuse. His Corcoran High School robotics team made it to the world championship of the Vex Robotic Competition this year, but the event was canceled due to the coronavirus. ECS’s Orange Robotics team placed eighth out of 48 teams the first time it competed in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers student design competition in 2017. ECS offers an Introduction to Robotics class where students originate designs like sumo wrestling robots, and the University also has a new unmanned aerial systems club—a big draw for students who want to experiment with drones.

All of the students live within a 10-minute drive of the University. There are a lot of family connections to Syracuse University. Cecile’s parents, James ’88, L’91 and Julie Cecile L’91, are both graduates of the College of Law. His sister Hannah ’19 is an alumna and their grandfather, Robert Cecile, was associate dean of University College. Shanahan’s parents both earned graduate degrees at Syracuse; his mother, Amanda G’94, from Falk College and his father, Michael ’08, from the School of Education. Sojewicz’s grandfather, Timothy Gorman, L’72, is a graduate of the College of Law.

Even though their senior year in high school was cut short by the pandemic, the students have pushed aside their disappointment and feel optimistic about what awaits them in the next chapter of their lives. They are united in their belief that Syracuse University will give them a valuable connection to a network of people focused on the greater good.

“Being Orange means being part of a strong community that works together to improve society,” says Shanahan.

Adapted from a SU Story by Mary Beth Horsington published on August 28, 2020.

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Falk College welcomes new faculty and staff

Syracuse University’s Falk College is pleased to welcome four new staff members who have joined Falk College in the past academic year: Donna Fecteau, Administrative Assistant in the Department of Exercise Science; Julia Fuqua, Office Coordinator in the Department of Exercise Science; Heather Mauro, Internship Placement Coordinator in the School of Social Work, and; Melissa Tobin, Counselor, Academic Services in the Office of Student Services.

In addition, Falk College is pleased to announce the appointment of six new faculty members, Bernard Appiah, Maria Erdman, Kenneth Marfilius, Miriam Mutambudzi, Latha Ramalingam, and Maryam Yuhas, in addition to six faculty who join Falk College with the Department of Exercise Science, Tiago Barreira, Tom Brutsaert, Keith DeRuisseau, Kevin Heffernan, Joon Young Kim, and Kristen Konkol.

Bernard Appiah

Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health

Bernard Appiah joins the Department of Public Health in Falk College as Assistant Professor in Fall 2020.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Appiah was Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University’s School of Public Health in the Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health and Public Health Studies. He was the Founding Director of the Research Program on Public and International Engagement for Health. Previously, Appiah served as a Drug Information Pharmacist/Publications Manager at the National Drug Information Resource Centre (NDIRC) for the Ministry of Health in Ghana. He has taught courses such as environmental and occupational health communication, social context of population health, and comparative global health systems.

Appiah’s research interests lie in socio-behavioral approaches for exploring public health issues, global health and environmental health with emphasis on socio-behavioral change communication, public/community engagement interventions, and dissemination of information/knowledge through culturally appropriate communication channels. He is published in several journals, including Psychiatry Research, BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) mHealth and uHealth, and authored book chapters, technical reports, and many articles for mass media. He has presented at the International Workshop for Practitioners of Engagement Between Health Researchers and Schools in Kilifi, Kenya, the West African Society of Pharmacologists (WASOP) Conference in Ghana, and the Academy for Future International Leaders (AFIL) Open Session Seminar on Global Health Issues.

Appiah’s research has received support from the Wellcome Trust, UK, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, USAID Ghana, and Texas A&M University. Among the most recent supporters of his research is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Appiah is the recipient of numerous teaching and research fellowships and other honors including being named as a Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow in 2018 and 2016. He currently serves as Head of Capacity Building and Research Programmes for the Pan-African Network for Popularization of Science and Technology and Science Communication (African Gong); member of the Healthcare Safety and Quality Expert Committee of the U.S. Pharmacopeia, and; reviewer for Public Understanding of Science.

Appiah earned his Dr.PH in Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences in 2013 and his M.S. in Science and Technology Journalism from Texas A&M University’s School of Public Health and College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, respectively. He earned his master’s in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and his B.Pharm in Pharmacy from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana.

Tiago Barreira

Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science

Tiago Barreira joins Falk College as Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. He teaches courses such as systemic physiology and exercise, research methods in exercise and sports science, measurement and evaluation in exercise science, physical activity and public health, and obesity and body composition.

Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Barreira has served as Assistant Professor since 2014. Barreira is also the Director of the Kinesmetrics Laboratory at Syracuse University. Prior to joining Syracuse, he completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Barreira’s research focuses on the measurement of physical activity: establishing validity and reliability evidence of physical activity measurement tools; determining how to use physical activity measurement tools to obtain reliable and accurate information on physical activity patterns; the use of physical activity measurement tools as a motivation to promote increased physical activity levels, and; investigating the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors. His work is published in several journals, most recently in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, Disability and Rehabilitation, Artery Research, and the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness among others. He has given presentations for the International Biometric Conference, The American College of Sports Medicine, and the International Conference on Ambulatory Monitoring of Physical Activity and Movement, among others.

Past research has received support from the National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, Institute for Educational Sciences SHAPE America, Fight for Hearts, among others. Barreira is a journal editor for the Physical Activity section of Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise and is a manuscript reviewer for several journals and publications. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Measurement and Evaluation Special Interest Group from SHAPE America and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine Mid-Atlantic Chapter Research Committee.

Barreira earned his Ph.D. in Human Performance with a concentration in Kinesmetrics in 2010 from Middle Tennessee State University, where he also earned his M.S. in Exercise Science. He also earned a B.A. Physical Education and B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Tom Brutsaert

Professor, Department of Exercise Science

Tom Brutsaert joins Falk College as Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. In the department, he teaches courses such as energy metabolism and exercise, physiology of exercise, environmental physiology, high altitude physiology and biology, and human biological variation.

Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Brutsaert has served as Professor since 2016 and previously as Associate Professor since 2009. At Syracuse, Brutsaert is the Director of the Altitude Simulation Laboratory, holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Anthropology, and helps to coordinate the Human Performance Laboratory. Before joining Syracuse University, he held several positions at SUNY Albany. There, he was a Fellow in the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis, and was Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology from 2005 to 2009 after being promoted from Assistant Professor. He also served as Co-Director of the Human Biology Program from 2003 to 2004. He completed an NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California at San Diego’s School of Medicine in the Division of Physiology.

Brutsaert has broad research interests in how gene and environment interact to produce variation in human athletic ability and health and disease. His work is published in several publications, most recently in Frontiers in Genetics, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, European Journal of Applied Physiology, the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, and International Journal of Molecular Sciences, among others. He has given presentations at the International Conference on Genomics, Leh High Altitude Symposium, World Congress on High Altitude Medicine and Physiology, for the Center for Physiological Genomics, and others.

Past research has received support from the National Science Foundation (NSF Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Geographic Foundation, and a Fulbright Specialist Award. Brutsaert serves on the Advisory Editorial Board for Sports Sciences for Health and the Editorial Board for High Altitude Medicine and Biology, and previously served in editorial and reviewer roles for other journals, books, and grants.

Brutsaert earned his Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology in 1977 from Cornell University, where he also earned his M.S. in Human Nutrition and M.A. in Biological Anthropology. He earned his B.A. in Biology from Northeastern University.

Keith DeRuisseau

Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Exercise Science

Keith DeRuisseau joins Falk College as Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. He is currently the Chair of the department and teaches courses such as introduction to exercise science, physiology of exercise, and skeletal muscle physiology.

Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where DeRuisseau has served as Associate Professor since 2012 and previously as Assistant Professor since 2006. Before joining Syracuse University, he was a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the University of Florida.

DeRuisseau’s research investigates potential mediators of skeletal muscle dysfunction under conditions that include disuse, aging, and trisomy (a model of Down syndrome). An emphasis is placed on how iron, oxidants, and antioxidants contribute to skeletal muscle mass and functional responses. He is published in several journals, most recently in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, the Journal of Applied Physiology, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, European Journal of Sport Science, and Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology. He has presented his work at Experimental Biology annual meetings and for the American College of Sports Medicine.

Past research has received support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Diabetes Group of the Hill Collaboration on Environmental Medicine, the Syracuse University Gerontology Center, and others. DeRuisseau is a 2015-16 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant awardee for the Fulbright-Saastamoinen Foundation Grant in Health and Environmental Sciences. He is a member of the American Physiological Society and invited manuscript reviewer for publications such as Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, and the Journal of Applied Physiology, among others.

DeRuisseau earned his Ph.D. in Movement Science from Florida State University in 2002. He earned his M.S. and B.S. in Exercise Science, both from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Maria Erdman

Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Maria Erdman joins the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in Falk College as an Associate Teaching Professor in Fall 2020. At Syracuse, Erdman will teach in the nutrition program.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Erdman was employed at Morrison Healthcare at Upstate University Hospital as a Clinical Outpatient Dietitian at the Upstate Cancer Center since 2014. Prior to that time, she was a Clinical Inpatient Dietitian. Previously, she was a Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant at Syracuse University, and also worked as a Laboratory Manager and Research Technician at UC Davis, Yale College, and Syracuse University.

Erdman’s research on nutrition on college campuses is published in Public Health Nutrition and Health Promotion. She has presented at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Exposition of the American Dietetic Association (2010) and NYSDA Annual Meeting (2009). She has given many nutrition lectures and educational sessions at Oasis/Healthlink Learning Center at Upstate Medical University, Upstate Cancer Center, Upstate Healthlink On Air Radio Program, and Upstate Medical University Physical Therapy, among others.

She is the recipient of several awards, including the Upstate Cancer Center Nutrition Services Fund, a grant from the Upstate Foundation to pay the nutrition counseling bills of cancer patients at Upstate Cancer Center, as well as the 2016 President’s Employee Recognition Award, Clinical Team of the Year. She also received the 2010 Outstanding Dietetics Student Dietetic Internship Award from the New York State Dietetic Association (NYSDA) and the Outstanding Graduate Student in Nutrition Science from Syracuse University. She has served in several volunteer positions for the CNYDA, including president, and has served in volunteer roles at the Crouse Hospital Clinical Dietetics Department, Syracuse City School District, and Community Supported Agriculture of Central New York, among others.

Erdman earned a M.S. in Nutrition Science at Syracuse University in 2009, where she also completed her Dietetic Internship, and a B.S. in Genetics at the University of California, Davis.

She earned certifications as a Board Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO) 2015-20 and a Board Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC) 2012-17.

Kevin Heffernan

Associate Professor, Department of Exercise Science

Kevin Heffernan joins Falk College as Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. In the department, he teaches courses such as exercise and aging, cardiac rehabilitation, and advanced cardiovascular exercise physiology.

Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Heffernan has served as Dean’s (Distinguished) Associate Professor since 2011. He currently serves as the Director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Syracuse University. Previously, he completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Tufts Medical Center, Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging from 2008 to 2011.

Heffernan’s research examines the interaction of diet, nutritional supplementation and exercise, with an emphasis on resistance exercise, on vascular function in health, disease and disability throughout the human lifespan. His work is published in several journals, most recently the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, JAMA Cardiology, and the Journal of Applied Physiology. He has presented recent work on exercise and cardiovascular health at the American College of Sports Medicine and the North American Artery Society scientific conferences as well as work related to health disparities in cardiovascular disease risk to members of the Congressional Black Caucus. He is Past-President of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Past research has been funded by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Current work is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health. Heffernan serves on the Syracuse University Institutional Review Board, Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Faculty, is an Aging Studies Institute Research Member and a Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion Faculty Fellow.

Heffernan earned his Ph.D. in Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008. He holds a M.S. in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Columbia University, and a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Scranton.

Joon Young Kim

Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Science

Joon Young Kim joins Falk College as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. In the department, he teaches courses such as pediatric obesity and systemic physiology and exercise.

Prior to joining Falk College in 2020, the Department of Exercise Science was positioned within Syracuse University’s School of Education, where Kim has served as Assistant Professor since 2019. He currently leads the Clinical Research Laboratory at Syracuse University. Previously, he was a National Institutes of Health-supported T32 Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Postdoctoral Associate at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh from 2015 to 2019.

Kim is a Ph.D.-scientist and a clinical researcher in exercise physiology with specific focus on childhood obesity, metabolism, and type 2 diabetes. His research focuses on pathophysiology of youth-onset prediabetes/type 2 diabetes, identification of novel phenotypic biomarkers and genetic targets of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and effects of lifestyle intervention on type 2 diabetes risk in obese youth. His work is published in several high-impact journals including Diabetes Care, Diabetes, and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. He has given presentations at the American Diabetes Association, American College of Sport Medicine, Endocrine Society, and others.

Past research has been funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Arizona State University Research Support Program. He has received scholarships and awards from Yonsei University and Arizona State University, as well as the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes and the Endocrine Society. He currently serves as an Advising Member for the American Diabetes Association’s Exercise Physiology Interest Group Leadership Team, an Organizing/Scientific Committee Member for the World Obesity and Weight Management Congress, and an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.

Kim earned his Ph.D. in Kinesiology/Exercise Physiology from Arizona State University in 2015. He holds a B.S. in Physical Education from Yonsei University in South Korea.

Kristen Konkol

Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Exercise Science

Kristin Konkol joins Falk College as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Exercise Science in Fall 2020. She has a dual appointment in the School of Education. In the department, 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.

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 from the University of Minnesota in 2001. 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.

Kenneth Marfilius

Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Social Work

Ken Marfilius joins the School of Social Work in Falk College as an Assistant Teaching Professor in Fall 2020.

Prior to his new appointment at Syracuse University, Marfilius served as a Visiting Teaching Professor in Falk College’s School of Social Work since 2018, and as an Adjunct Faculty Member from 2016 to 2018. Marfilius will serve as the School of Social Work’s Undergraduate Director. He has taught courses on topics such as social work intervention, military culture and social work practice, psychopathology, and others. While active duty, Marfilius served in the U.S. Air Force Biomedical Science Corps in multiple roles: active duty clinical social worker, mental health therapist, family advocacy officer in charge, and as manager of the alcohol and drug prevention and treatment program. He was commissioned in 2013 and was discharged in 2016 having obtained the rank of captain. At the Barksdale Air Force Base, Marfilius served in a variety of mental health roles related to sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention, and traumatic stress. Marfilius has also worked for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program, and as a Disruptive Behavior Committee Member.

Marfilius has given several presentations and trainings, topics ranging from veteran cultural competence to trauma-informed care, at the Association for Humanistic Counseling National Conference, the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, and the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, among others.

Marfilius is honored with a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal. He is a recipient of the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship and the U.S. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and has twice been awarded the Barksdale Air Force Base Medical Operations Squadron Company Grade Officer of the Quarter. Marfilius currently serves on several committees at Syracuse University, including his service as Chair of the Council on the Social Work Education Self-Study Steering Committee.

Marfilius earned a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (D.S.W.) and Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. He earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Public Health from Syracuse University. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of North Carolina and is certified in Prolonged Exposure Therapy.

Miriam Mutambudzi

Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health

Miriam Mutambudzi joins the Department of Public Health in Falk College as Assistant Professor in Fall 2020.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Mutambudzi served as a Research Associate in the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, and a Guest Epidemiology Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and a Senior Research Program Coordinator at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine.

Mutambudzi’s research focus is on chronic disease and occupational epidemiology. Much of her research has largely been directed towards the use of longitudinal data to assess disparities in morbidity, disability, and mortality, with particular interest in onset and progression of chronic diseases, work-related health outcomes, and social determinants of health in vulnerable populations and older adults in Europe and the U.S. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals including the European Journal of Ageing, Journal of Gerontology: Medical Science, and the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, among many others. She has presented at the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP), Epidemiology in Occupation Health Conference (EPICOH), and the Population Association of America (PAA).

Mutambudzi is the 2020 recipient of the Kammer Emmett Award from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) for the most outstanding article published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2019. Past research support includes funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). She is an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Aging and Health and has served as an editorial peer reviewer for many other journals. She is a member of the European Association for Population Studies.

Mutambudzi earned her Ph.D. in Public Health from University of Connecticut in 2012. She also holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a B.A. in International Studies from the West Virginia University.

Latha Ramalingam

Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Latha Ramalingam joins the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies in Falk College as Assistant Professor in Fall 2020. She works broadly in areas of metabolic disease, which include obesity and diabetes.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Ramalingam was a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Texas Tech University since 2014. Previously, she served at Indiana University’s School of Medicine as a Postdoctoral Fellow and a Research Assistant.

Ramalingam’s research interests include strategies, both in vitro and in vivo, to investigate the effects of Bioactives (omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin D) in maternal obesity using animal models. She also has projects investigating the mechanism behind the role of Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) in beta cells. She has published in several journals, including Scientific Reports, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, Nutrients, and Diabetes. She has presented her work at the American Society of Nutrition, American Heart Association and Obesity Society.

Ramalingam’s research has been supported by the American Heart Association, the USDA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the Obesity Society, and Texas Tech University. She is the recipient of several awards, including Early Career Travel Award for International Congress of Nutrition, Argentina 2017, and 2016 IJO Young Investigator Award, 13^th International Congress of Obesity, Vancouver, Canada and the Early Career Grant Challenge from Obesity Society among other awards. Currently, she serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, International Journal of Diabetes, and Obesity and Nutritional Disorders.

Ramalingam earned her Ph.D. at the Indiana University’s School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, in 2014. She also holds a M.Tech from Vellore Institute of Technology’s School of Biotechnology in Vellore, India and a B.Pharm from Sri Ramachandra Medical College’s School of Pharmacy in Chennai.

Maryam Yuhas

Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Maryam Yuhas joins the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies as Assistant Professor in fall 2020. At Syracuse University, Yuhas will teach in the nutrition program.

Prior to joining Syracuse University, Yuhas served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, since 2019. Previously, she has practiced as Registered Dietitian in two different clinical settings and has held roles as Graduate Research Assistant for the University of Virginia’s Department of Public Health Sciences, Virginia Tech’s Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, and for Oklahoma State University’s Department of Nutritional Sciences. She has also held other intern, extern, and teaching assistant roles. Yuhas’s research is rooted in the socioecological perspective and focuses on working with minority, low-income, and rural communities to implement and evaluate nutrition- and physical activity-based interventions. She is published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) mHealth and uHealth, Journal of Appalachian Health, Contemporary Clinical Trials, Preventive Nutrition and Food Science, and Nutrition and Metabolic Insights. She has given scientific presentations at The Obesity Society, Experimental Biology, and the Oklahoma Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, among others.

Current research projects for which Yuhas serves as Postdoctoral Research Associate are supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Yuhas is the recipient of several awards, including the 2013 Weber Gerontology Scholarship Award at Oklahoma State University and the 2016 Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program Award at Virginia Tech, among others. She currently serves as a reviewer for several journals including the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Journal of Adolescent Health. She is a member of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and several community-based advisory boards and coalitions.

Yuhas earned her Ph.D. in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise from Virginia Tech in 2019, specializing in Behavioral and Community Sciences. She earned her M.S. in Nutritional Sciences from Oklahoma State University and her B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics from Benedictine University. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Oklahoma State University and earned her Registered Dietitian (RDN) credential from Commission on Dietetics Registration in 2014.

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Capstone curveball preps SPM senior for sport industry future

During the Spring 2020 semester, while I was completing my Senior Capstone as a media relations intern with minor league baseball’s Pensacola (FL) Blue Wahoos, COVID-19 hit, shutting down the sport industry and putting the Wahoos’ season on hold.

The transition was abrupt. Less than two weeks before, we hosted a college baseball tournament, where I acted as a cameraperson, scoreboard operator and game photographer.

When COVID-19 hit, we had just entered the final stages of our Opening Day preparations. My primary projects were all intended to be finalized by our April 9 opening, including rebuilding and managing the team’s new website and finalizing the production of the team’s 2020 Media Guide. I wrote articles and press releases, attended media events, and assisted in game-day production. We spent months working in earnest toward a finish line that, very suddenly, no longer existed.

After COVID-19 suspended the Wahoos’ season and the organization transitioned to working remotely, my role changed significantly for the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. I focused primarily on the website, which had to be entirely rebuilt in a new software. Shortly thereafter, I was offered the opportunity to work remotely on media relations for the Beloit (Wisc.) Snappers, the Class-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. For the remainder of my Spring 2020 Capstone, I rebuilt the Snappers’ website and assisted with graphic design, marketing and social media.

After graduating from Syracuse University in May 2020, I transitioned to a remote media relations role with the Snappers, while remaining in Pensacola, Florida. I now manage the Snappers’ social media accounts and website, as well as assist with the marketing for a new stadium and team rebranding.

This was obviously not the way I envisioned my senior Capstone playing out. I anticipated working closely with the media and players, publishing my first game stories and hopefully seeing the Twins’ top prospects in action. Instead, I spent Opening Day social distancing at home, doing my best to keep the team prepared for the season to start at any moment.

While COVID-19 has brought disappointment and heartbreak for so many, the transition taught me the importance of workplace community. I saw first-hand the value of creativity and willingness to think outside the box. I never anticipated working remotely for half of my Capstone and running a media department for a team 1,000 miles away a month after graduation. I will not say it has been easy, but I am grateful for these challenges. I know this entire experience — the planned and the unprecedented — has prepared me for anything the sport industry can throw at me in the future.

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SPM Emerging Leaders Council To Launch Virtual Professional Series July 15

Falk College’s Department of Sport Management Emerging Leaders Council (ELC) will launch a virtual professional development series for young professionals July 15, 2020 called The Juice.

The Juice livestream is dedicated to supporting, promoting, and encouraging professional development and social interaction among young professionals in the sports and entertainment industry. Experienced professionals will engage in dialogue, offer guidance in professional development, and answer questions submitted by the students through a weekly live webinar series.

The first Zoom webinar session is slated for 2 p.m. (EST) Wednesday, July 15 and is entitled “The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace.” This event, moderated by Professor of Sport Management, Dr. Mary Graham, will address how and why diversity is important, challenges companies and professionals encounter throughout their careers, success stories, and ideas for how every person can help foster a more inclusive work environment. Featured panelists will share their strategies and successes building and working with diverse teams as well as highlight the positive impact diversity and inclusion can have on a corporate culture, business success, and a company’s bottom line.

Hear from licensed clinical psychologist and Syracuse University Falk College alumna Dr. Tasha Brown ’10, as well as Spelman College Assistant Professor Dr. Danielle Dickens, whose research includes identity negotiation, stereotyping, and prejudice in the workplace. Dr. Brown and Dr. Dickens will be joined by WarnerMedia Executive Director Josette Sprott and sport and entertainment professional Orestes Hernandez.

The Syracuse University ELC exists as a core group of the Sport Management Department’s most committed and influential young alumni that are focused on providing guidance in various ways to current Sport Management, Sport Analytics, and Sport Venue and Event Management students.

Presenters

Upcoming Events

Future topics in the professional development series include:

• Personal Brand Development and Selling Yourself
• A Player’s Perspective: From Professional Athlete to Business Professional
• Emerging Trends and Categories in Sport/Entertainment
• Navigating Internships: Finding and Landing the Job
• Starting Your Own Business

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Congratulations 2020 Falk Student Research Celebration Winners

The Falk Student Research Celebration is an annual event that takes place to highlight undergraduate and graduate student research projects Students submit posters for display and are judged by a committee of faculty, staff, and peers. Participants compete for educational funds to present their posters on a larger stage, to attend a conference to gain further insights into their respective fields, or for other educational endeavors. This year’s celebration took place virtually.

Undergraduate Winners

Sentiment Analysis and Video Assistance Referees (VAR) in Professional Soccer
Name: Dylan Blechner
Program/Major: Sport Analytics
Faculty Research Mentor: Rodney Paul

Insecticide Treated Nets and Insecticide Resistance on Malaria Prevention in sub-Saharan Africa
Name: Rachael Church and Dr. David Larsen
Program/Major: Biology Major with a Public Health Minor and Environment & Society Minor
Faculty Research Mentor: David Larsen

Examining Wealth Trends in Kombewa, Kenya
Name: Alizée McLorg, Dr. David Larsen, Dr. Andrea Shaw, Dr. Bhavneet Walia, Kennedy Omolo, and Peter Sifuna
Program/Major: Public Health
Faculty Research Mentor: David Larsen

Energy Availability in Female Collegiate Athletes: A Pilot Study
Name: Jessica Neidel and Dr. Jessica L. Garay
Program/Major: Nutrition Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Jessica L. Garay

Graduate Winners

The Role of Diet Quality and Micronutrient Content on Sleep Parameters in Children Aged 9-11
Name: Nicholas Marino and Dr. Margaret Voss
Program/Major: Nutrition Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Margaret Voss, Lynn Brann, and Brooks Gump

Father Involvement, Couple Relationship Quality, and Maternal Postpartum Depression: The Role of Ethnicity among Low-income Families
Name: Ying Zhang and Dr. Rachel Razza
Program/Major: Human Development and Family Science
Faculty Research Mentor: Rachel Razza

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Congratulations Class of 2020

Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2020 from the students, faculty, staff, advisory boards, alumni and friends of Falk College! The courage and resiliency you have demonstrated in these challenging times prove you are prepared to respond to society’s greatest needs. Now more than ever, our world needs all you have to offer. We look forward to hearing about your achievements as our newest Falk alumni and eagerly await the future in-person celebration at Falk Convocation and Syracuse University Commencement.

The Dean’s video message to the Class of 2020 was recorded late last year when we were fully expecting our traditional campus celebrations to take place this spring. Since then, the global coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of us in many difficult ways. We recognize how hard this has been for all of our students, and particularly the Class of 2020. While we will celebrate with you at distance for now, we look forward to celebrating together in person when it is safe to do so.

Join the Syracuse University community for the Class of 2020 Virtual Degree Conferral.

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2020 Falk College Scholars Announced

Falk College Scholars from the Class of 2020 represent undergraduate students in the College who display academic excellence, exceptional campus and community engagement, independent research and creative work, evidence of intellectual growth and/or innovation in their disciplinary field, and personal integrity.

“Congratulations to our students named Falk College Scholars. Their outstanding accomplishments exemplify academic excellence, creativity, personal achievement and commitment to the campus and local communities, and they are exceptional role models for their peers,” says senior associate dean of academic affairs, Eileen Lantier.

The Falk Scholars from the Class of 2020 include:

	Emma Susan Asher Nutrition Science		April M Hill Nutrition
	Alizee Mclorg Public Health		Bijal Patel Public Health
	Connor David Monzo Sport Management		Brandon M Pollack Sport Management
	Nicholas Richard Riccardi Sport Analytics		Alexandra Tulowiecki Social Work

“The combination of their outstanding academic accomplishments and dedication to sharing knowledge and experiences outside of the classroom to engage the world represents what Falk College is all about: social responsibility, social justice and service to others,” adds Falk Dean, Diane Lyden Murphy.

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