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Class of 2023 Sport Management Awards

Class of 2023 Honored with Sport Management and Sport Analytics Awards

Two separate large groups of people are posed together

Falk College’s Department of Sport Management is pleased to recognize the outstanding work of its undergraduate and graduate students in the Class of 2023 in sport management, sport analytics, and sport venue and event management. The Department of Sport Management held an awards celebration May 12 in Falk College. Students who were recognized for academic excellence, philanthropic work, and post-graduate plans included:

  • 2023 Falk College Marshall: Alex Guo
  • 2023 Sport Management Marshal: Brianne Quinlan
  • 2023 Sport Analytics Marshal: John Asel
  • 2023 Sport Venue and Event Management graduate student Marshal: Luke Frontale

Berlin Sport Analytics Scholars

These Sport Analytics seniors John Asel, Sam Auerbach, Alexander Borelli, Kylie Dedrick, Shane Halpin, Ikuo Kobayashi, Austin Murphy, Matthew Penn, Seth Quinn, Jeremy Rosenbaum, and Benjamin Wachtel were named Berlin Scholars for the 2022-2023 academic year. The scholarship is named for Andrew Berlin, who donated $1 million to Syracuse University’s sport analytics program in 2018.

6 Persons are posed in graduation gowns
Sport Analytics majors (from left to right) Eli Miller, Kylie Dedrick, Matthew Penn, Benjamin Wachtel, Shane Halpin, and Alexander Borelli were named 2023 Falk College Scholars.

Falk Scholars

Sport Analytics majors Alexander Borelli, Kylie Dedrick, Shane Halpin, Eli Miller, Matthew Penn, and Benjamin Wachtel were named Falk Scholars. Falk College Scholars represent undergraduate students in Falk College who display academic excellence, exceptional campus and community engagement, and personal integrity.

Sport Management Director’s Academic Achievement Award

Fifty students in the Department of Sport Management received the Director’s Academic Achievement Award for achieving a GPA of 3.4 or higher for each of their consecutive semesters at Syracuse University.

Sport Management: Alexander Chillemi, Maeva Collatos, Stephanie Deangelis, Juliana DiCenso, Kevin Donoghue, Rahul Dua, Alex Guo, Chuqi Fang, Alessandro Ferrari-Carrubba, Jake Fienberg, Melanie Kelly, Andrew Leconte, Juliano Macera, Chloe Moss, Benjamin Paglia, Alexandra Panaggio, Brianne Quinlan, Anthony Ruggiero, Eli Samuels, Maxwell Schobel, Ethan Shifman, Blake Taub, and Anna Theodosopoulos.

Sport Analytics: Ian Archer, Daniel Beim, Mitchell Bereznay, Alexander Borelli, Daniel Brockett, Elijah Buto, Robert Craig III, Kylie Dedrick, Philip Frank, Sam Gellman, Corey Goldman, Shane Halpin, Nolan Hammond, Gabriel Herz, Jackson Hett, Christopher Jones, Jordan Jones, Nicholas Lukowsky, Nathaniel Mahoney, Austin Murphy, Zachary Palfey, Matthew Penn, Seth Quinn, Robert Schoor, Brenden Slomka, Benjamin Wachtel, and Zachary Wood.

Sport Management Director’s Award – Blake Taub

This award is presented to a student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher who is a strong ambassador for the department, demonstrates exemplary service to the community, possesses strong professional sport industry experience, and is a strong mentor for other Sport Management majors.

Blake has embraced the entire mantra of our program. He has served as president of the Sport Management Club for two years. Most recently, Blake completed his senior Capstone internship at the Nashville Sports Council and interned with NASCAR, Point 3 Basketball, Cedar Stars Rush, CollectibleXchange, Sports Business Journal, and Rookie Road. Blake was part of a four-student team that represented the Department at a case study competition at the Sport Marketing Association Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, this past fall. He has been a wonderful ambassador for our program, and we are pleased to recognize his accomplishments with this honor.

Sport Management Director’s Award for Academic Promise – Nyah Jones

This award is presented to a student who will attend graduate or professional school, has attained a GPA of 3.5 or higher, is a strong ambassador for the department, demonstrates exemplary service to the community, possesses strong professional sport industry experience, and is a strong mentor for other Sport Management majors.

During her time at Syracuse University, Nyah interned with the Spisak Agency, Point 3 Basketball, Oak Hill Country Club, and Syracuse University Athletics. She also was involved with the Syracuse University Student Association and the Office of Student Living. She recently completed her senior Capstone with Priority Sports. Nyah will continue her post-graduate education this fall in Syracuse University’s Newhouse S.I. School of Public Communications to obtain her master’s degree.

Sport Management Academic Excellence Award – Benjamin Paglia

The Sport Management Academic Excellence Award recognizes a student with a GPA of 3.8 or higher.

During his time at Syracuse, Ben has interned with Legends, the Syracuse Crunch, the Scranton Rail Riders, The Season Ticket, Syracuse University Athletics, and Little League International. Ben is also a member of the Sport Management Club and worked as a Falk College Ambassador, all while maintaining a 3.9 GPA. He will complete his Senior Capstone this summer with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Matt Brodsky Philanthropic Excellence Award – Megan Sheehan

This award is named after Matt Brodsky, a sport management major who passed away unexpectedly after the Fall semester of his freshman year in 2013. In his honor, the department created an award that stems from his philanthropic excellence while he was a student at Syracuse University. This award is presented to a student who displays outstanding service to both the campus and greater Syracuse communities, demonstrates exemplary citizenship and philanthropic qualities, serves as a mentor for students by establishing outreach opportunities for the Department and University, and is an exemplary representative of Sport Management.

Megan has been involved within the Sport Management program and community for the past four years. She served as co-chair of the 2022 Sport Management Club’s Charity Sports Auction that generated more than $52,000 for Vera House. She also served as a club officer for two years. She has interned with the U.S. Soccer Federation and SponsorUnited. Megan completed her Senior Capstone this semester with Leinster Rugby, which included a trip to Ireland.

A group of 9 persons are posed holding awards

Sport Management Professional Engagement Award – Melanie Kelly

This award is presented in recognition of a student’s real-world experience, work ethic, dedication, professional demeanor, and career development as an undergraduate student and representative of the Department of Sport Management. This student’s outstanding academic achievements, coupled with strong citizenship and community service, typify the hard work, dedication, and preparation that the student displayed throughout their academic career at Syracuse University.

Melanie completed her senior Capstone this semester as a marketing intern with Wasserman. She has also interned with Madison Square Garden, Talent Resources, and the Syracuse University football team. She presented her co-authored research at the Seneca Falls Dialogues Conference last year and is active with Alpha Chi Omega Fraternity on campus. In addition, Melanie has been a member of the Sport Management Club for four years.

Jason Morales Perseverance in Sports and Life Award – Justin Moskowitz

This award is named in honor of Jason Morales, a sport management student who passed away while completing his Senior Capstone in New York City in 2013. When Jason passed away, Syracuse University awarded his son, Noel, a full scholarship if he chooses to attend Syracuse one day. In Jason’s honor, this award is given to a student who has demonstrated persistence, perseverance, and positive motivation throughout their academic career while striving to be their best when confronted with life’s challenges. Jason overcame many challenges while at Syracuse University and was just six weeks away from graduation when he passed.

The 2023 recipient, Justin Moskowitz, has persevered through many challenges while at Syracuse University. He was even the topic of a column in Sportico written by Sport Management Endowed Professor Rick Burton about Justin’s Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality prowess. Justin recently completed his Senior Capstone with YBVR. College is not always easy for everyone and sometimes it takes a little extra time for some to find the things we are passionate about. His hard work and dedication earned him this honor.

Sport Management VIP Award – Alex Guo

The Sport Management VIP Award is presented to a student with outstanding service to the department and who has engaged in a variety of experiential learning and sport industry experiences, actively volunteers to serve the department and University on a regular basis, demonstrates strong professionalism and outstanding character, and serves as a role model for Sport Management majors.

Alex has been an integral part of this department since he stepped foot on campus as a freshman. He has been an active member of the Sport Management Club for four years, serving as co-chair of the 2022 Charity Sports Auction that generated more than $52,000 for Vera House. He also created this department’s Sport Media and Marketing Club and was a member of the Sport Sales Club. He is enrolled in the Honors Program at Syracuse University and has interned at companies such as the Walt Disney Company, Darlow, PostGame, and the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission. Alex completed his Senior Capstone this semester with OnLocation in California, where he worked at events such as the Super Bowl and Masters. He is a true VIP. Alex delivered the Undergraduate Student Reflection at the Falk College Convocation on May 13 as the Falk College Marshal.

Kate Veley Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility Award – Maxwell Schobel

Kate Veley worked at Syracuse University for more than 15 years and was instrumental in the planning of the annual Sports Charity Auction. She now works as the Director of Corporate Philanthropy for Make-A-Wish of Central New York. The Kate Veley Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility Award is presented to a student who has “given back to the community they’ve called home for the past four years.” This student has continually demonstrated strong volunteerism and philanthropic effort to improve the lives of others within the greater Syracuse community, and in so doing set an example for us all.

Max served as the 2022 co-chair for the Sport Management Club’s Annual Charity Sports Auction that raised over $52,000 for Vera House. This semester he completed his Senior Capstone with the NHL’s Nashville Predators as a community relations intern. He interned for the St. Paul Saints minor league baseball team, and in Fan Services and Community Relations with Syracuse University men’s basketball. These experiences prove his dedication to giving back to the community he’s in and we know he will continue this on his path forward. Max, we are so proud of you and wish you the best as you embark on your career in the sport industry.

Patrick Ryan Sport Technology Award – Noah Wagner

This award is named after Professor Emeritus Patrick Ryan, who taught at Syracuse University for 15 years before retiring in May 2021. He taught and created all the sport technology courses for the department. Prior to coming to Syracuse University, Ryan worked in the technology industry for more than 30 years. The award recognizes a student’s entrepreneurial spirit and academic excellence while utilizing technology to enhance personal skills.

Noah completed his senior Capstone with UFC as an event development intern and gained industry experience with Baseball/Softball UK in London and the Syracuse Crunch, The Basketball League, Memphis Redbirds, Syracuse University Athletics, and the Syracuse Stallions. Additionally, Noah took advantage of opportunities to shadow the event entertainment department with the Las Vegas Golden Knights and serve as a game day intern for the Memphis Red Birds.

Graduate Student Award – Molly Gross

Molly followed a non-traditional path for students typically interested in our sport venue and event management graduate program. As an undergraduate student, Molly majored in public health, but found a passion for event management while working for University Union, with a particular interest in live music and entertainment. Since joining the program last July, Molly has embraced our philosophy of experiential learning having worked with Live Nation, the JMA Wireless Dome, and ASM Global while also giving back as a development and marketing assistant for the charitable organization Sarah’s Guest House.

Overall, Molly’s outstanding academic achievements, coupled with her strong leadership and respect that she earned from faculty members and her peers, make her a role model for future graduate students. We are pleased to recognize her accomplishments with this honor and wish her the best of luck as she pursues her goal of working in the live music and entertainment industry. We are proud to say that Molly has been hired as an events coordinator in Atlantic City with Oak View Group.

A group of 6 persons are posed with awards

Sport Analytics Academic Excellence Awards – Alexander Borelli and Benjamin Wachtel

This award is in recognition of a student’s outstanding academic achievement and overall scholarship in Sport Analytics.

Alexander is a Berlin Scholar and Falk College Scholar. He has been an active member of Sport Analytics clubs and founder of the Fantasy Sports Club. He attended the MIT/Sloan Sport Analytics Conference and finished second in the National Sports Analytics Championships, leading our program to the Game Analytics national championship. He has served as a recruiting intern for the Syracuse University football program and an analytics intern with Major League Baseball. Alex will be returning to MLB this summer and continuing his studies at Fordham University’s Data Science master’s program.

Benjamin is a Berlin Scholar and Falk College Scholar. He has been an active member of the Baseball Statistics and Basketball Analytics Clubs, attended the MIT/Sloan Sport Analytics Conference, and participated in the SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competitions. He has gained data analysis experience with SponsorUnited, CoachMePlus, and Edmunds GovTech. This spring, he attended the MIT/Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and competed in the inaugural National Sports Analytics Championships, where he was part of the team that led the Sport Analytics program to the Game Analytics national championship. After graduation, Ben will continue his studies at Syracuse University in the Applied Data Science master’s program in the School of Information Studies.

Sport Analytics Director’s Awards for Academic Promise – Eli Miller and Matthew Penn

This award is in recognition of a student who plans to attend post-graduate education, demonstrates exemplary service to the community, and serves as an ambassador and mentor to students in Sport Analytics.

Eli is a Falk Scholar and completed his undergraduate degree in Sport Analytics in December 2022. He has been active gaining experience in the industry, having completed internships with Tracking Football, Hookit (an AI-powered sponsorship company), SBRnet, and the Chicago Blackhawks. This spring, he started his studies towards a master’s degree in economics and competed in the inaugural National Sports Analytics Championships, where he placed third overall as he led the Sport Analytics program to second place in the Business Analytics track. Eli will continue his experiential learning this summer as a data science intern before returning to campus in the fall to work towards completion of his master’s degree.

Matthew is a Berlin Scholar and Falk College Scholar. He is an executive board member for the Baseball Statistics and Sabermetrics Club and served as analytics committee chair for the Sport Management Club’s Annual Sports Charity Auction. In addition, he served as a night sales intern with Syracuse University Athletics, a data analytics intern for the Newark Pilots, and as team analytics/video coordinator for the Great Falls Voyagers of the Pioneer Baseball League. Matthew attended the MIT/Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, led a team of students in the SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competition in Phoenix, Arizona, and participated in the MinneAnalytics data science challenge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Matthew will continue his studies at Syracuse University in the Applied Data Science master’s program in the School of Information Studies.

Sport Analytics Research Excellence Award – John Asel and Austin Murphy

This award is in recognition of a student’s demonstrated commitment and success in academic research, presentation, and publication in Sport Analytics.

Austin is a Berlin Scholar and Renée Crown University Honors student who has spent significant time focused on research. He is a member of analytics clubs and spent last summer as a baseball analytics and research intern with the Pioneer Baseball League. Earlier this semester, Austin attended the MIT/Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, led a team of students in the SABR Diamond Dollars Case Competition in Phoenix, Arizona, and participated in the MinneAnalytics data science challenge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was also selected to present his senior thesis, focused on NCAA Tournament Selection Bias, at the Academy of Economics and Finance Conference and was selected as the best undergraduate paper for the entire competition.

John is a Berlin Scholar and has spent significant time developing his research and analytics knowledge throughout his time at Syracuse University. He has worked closely with Sport Analytics faculty member Jeremy Losak on a variety of research projects and continues that work. In summer 2022, John presented his research at the 50th SABR Conference in Baltimore, earning the Doug Pappas Award for best oral presentation. John has interned with Baseball Cloud, Driveline Baseball, and the Tampa Bay Rays. This spring John is joining the Baltimore Orioles, where he has accepted a full-time role as a junior data scientist.

Sport Analytics VIP Award – Kylie Dedrick

This award is in recognition of a student’s outstanding service, volunteerism, strong academic standing, and leadership, and for serving as a role model to students in Sport Analytics.

Kylie is a Berlin Scholar, Falk Scholar, and an active member of various student organizations. She has been a leader in the Sport Analytics Women Club throughout her time on campus, having served as president during the past year. She has participated in multiple case competitions, including being part of an all-female team that was named a room winner in the inaugural Football Analytics Blitz. This spring, she attended the MIT/Sloan Sport Analytics Conference and finished fourth overall in the inaugural National Sports Analytics Championships, leading our program to second place in the Business Analytics track. Kylie interned for Hookit, working with sponsorship data and insights, and spent the summer of 2022 as a data analytics intern with the NBA. Following graduation, Kylie will return to the NBA as a team data solutions strategist.