Nola Agha
PhD in Management Candidate 2009
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Previous Education: B.S., Indiana University, Bloomington; M.A., University of San Francisco
Work History: I did some private consulting in sport finance and economics setting up branch offices in Europe for American corporations looking to go multinational.
Favorite Class(es) at Isenberg: Econometrics! Microeconomics 2 with Dr. Stranlund was pretty great too.
Favorite Western Mass Activity: Rock climbing
Why UMass?: Nothing but the best.
Faculty Advisor: Neil Longley
How involved is your faculty advisor in your work?: We meet regularly to discuss ideas and to work towards completing my dissertation.
Any advice for people applying to a doctoral program?: Know that you're committing the next few years of your life to some busy times. You need to be prepared to live the life of a student again. Also, be sure that this is what you really want to do before you jump into it.
How about the community within the program?: All of the doctoral students at Isenberg are great.
Joe Cobbs
PhD in Management Candidate 2009
Hometown: Canton, Ohio
Previous Education: B.S. Business (Marketing/Finance), Miami University (OH); M.A. Sport Management, The Ohio State UniversityWork History: Marketing Assistant, Ohio State Athletics; Strategic Corporate Consultant, General Sports & Entertainment (Detroit, MI); Director of Marketing, Miami University (OH) Athletics
Favorite Class(es) at Isenberg: Marketing & Sport Management PhD Seminars
Favorite Amherst Restaurants: Amherst Brewing Co. (ABC), Bueno y Sano & The Newman Center
Favorite Western Mass Activities: Hiking, Running, Snowboarding & UMass Athletics
Why UMass?: The breadth and expertise of faculty in the UMass Sport Management Department is unmatched in the sport management discipline, and the opportunity to also learn from other business school faculty sets the UMass experience apart from other similar programs.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jay GladdenIs UMass what you expected?: The research training and depth of faculty interaction has exceeded my expectations.
What are your research goals?: My goal is to produce industry-relevant research that integrates and advances the theoretical foundations of sport sponsorship and branding.
How involved is your faculty advisor in your work?: Dr. Gladden has been outstanding to work with as I develop my research stream. We maintain a one-on-one discussion schedule throughout the year that keeps us focused on a productive mentoring relationship. His involvement has already led to two conference presentations.
Any advice for people applying to a doctoral program?: Most likely you are only going to get your PhD once, so I would advise keeping that fact in mind as you select a program. Choose the program that will best launch you into your ideal career situation. That means identifying the proper training, network, and "coach" that will allow you to develop into the scholar you desire to become. Personally, I am a business-minded thinker with a passion for sports and the pivotal role it plays in our society. Therefore, UMass Sport Management was an ideal fit for my doctoral training.
How about the community within the program?: One of the ways faculty at UMass has surpassed my expectations is by treating the PhD students with the respect of "professors in training." In other words, they view the PhD students as colleagues and include us in many of the decisions that affect the department, as well as social functions outside of the office. What are you working on?: Currently, I have a case study under review at Sport Management Review that examines the brand impacts of licensing (co-authored with Prof. Steve McKelvey). I've also been fortunate to present two conference presentations at the Sport Marketing Association Conference (in conjunction with Dr. Gladden and former UMass faculty, Tim DeSchriver).
Mark Groza
PhD in Management Candidate 2012
Hometown: Akron, Ohio
Previous Education: B.S. Labor Economics, The University of Akron (OH); Masters of Business Administration (MBA), The University of Cincinnati
Favorite Class(es) at Isenberg: Multivariate Statistics; Theory of Science in Marketing
Favorite Amherst Restaurants: The Spoke, Charlie's & The Hanger
Favorite Western Mass Activities: UMass Athletic Events; Micro-Brew Tours
Why UMass?: The Sport Management Department at the University of Massachusetts is uniquely situated in the Isenberg School of Management. I chose UMass because of the opportunity to take traditional Marketing PhD seminars concurrently with the Sport Management seminars offered.
Is UMass what you expected?: While my expectations for UMass were high, thus far those expectations have been exceeded.
What are your research goals?: My goal is to ultimately produce research that is capable of being published in the top marketing journals such as: The Journal of Marketing, The Journal of Consumer Research, and Marketing Science.
Any advice for people applying to a doctoral program?: The choice of PhD programs is an important decision that should be made with extreme care. My advice is to first exhaustively research a number of programs; do not limit your search too narrowly. Contact faculty members whose research you are interested in. Understandably, most PhD applicants are uncertain about which specific topics of research they may be interested in. Studying the profiles of faculty members will help to clarify possible research directions.
How about the community within the program?: The doctoral community at Isenberg is very close and I am proud to be a member of it.
What are you working on?: Currently, I have an article under review at the Journal of Sport Management that examines the impact NCAA conference affiliation has on football game-day attendance. I am also currently working on a sponsorship project with Joe Cobbs. Finally, I'm in the process of starting research that looks at the impact information spill-over plays in brand alliances and celebrity endorsement situations.
Kevin Snyder
PhD in Management Candidate 2012
Hometown: Eugene, OR
Previous Education: B.S., Virginia Tech; MBA, University of Oregon
Favorite Amherst Restaurants: Judie's, Antonio's, Amherst Brewing Company
Favorite Western Mass Activity: Attending UMass sporting events, traveling around the area
Why UMass?: UMass offers one of the strongest sport management programs in the country, particularly at the graduate levels. The strength and expertise of the faculty is second to none and UMass provides a great opportunity to collaborate with not only the faculty, but other PhD students as well.
David Tyler
PhD in Management Candidate 2011
Background
Hometown: Somers, CT
Previous Education: B.A., University of Notre Dame; MBA, University of Massachusetts~Amherst; MS, University of Massachusetts~Amherst
Work History: After college, I worked as a business process consultant with Accenture in Chicago. I also spent a year as an assistant fencing coach at Notre Dame before returning to graduate school. Most recently, I interned in MassMutual's sport marketing department.
Favorite Amherst Restaurants: My most frequently visited is Bueno y Sano, but Antonio's has to be my favorite.
Favorite Western Mass Activity: It depends on the season, but I like attending UMass & Amherst College sporting events, snowboarding, day/weekend trips to Boston and New York City, and frequenting local microbreweries.
The Isenberg Experience
Why UMass?: UMass offers a unique opportunity to collaborate and learn from faculty in sport management and in other parent disciplines (e.g., marketing, management, etc). The large sport faculty allows access to scholars with various backgrounds and subjects of expertise. This means we, as students, can strengthen our research and knowledge base by learning from experts across disciplines. Similarly, as part of the business school, we have regular interaction with members of other departments. Our education is enhanced by taking the same classes with PhDs throughout the school.
Faculty Advisor(s): Dr. Sheranne Fairley & Dr. Jay Gladden
Is UMass what you expected?: UMass has exceeded my expectations in terms of preparing me for a career as a scholar, particularly in terms of business training. I never doubted the ability to develop in the sport field, but I am especially pleased with the preparation I have had in mainstream marketing.
What are your research goals?: My main area of interest is in fan behavior, specifically how and why fans are attached to, or identify with, sport organizations.
How involved is your faculty advisor in your work?: My advisors provide me the freedom to develop my own research questions and agenda while supporting me throughout the process. They assist in clarifying ideas, looking at topics in different ways, and enabling me to do research that offers the greatest possible contribution to the field.
Any advice for people applying to a doctoral program?: It is important that you demonstrate the desire for a career in research. The UMass program teaches students how to do good research, and thus looks for students who will fit well in such an environment. This type of education might not be right for everyone - it is important that you understand what your career will be like and what educational experiences you need to succeed.
How about the community within the program?: There is a highly collaborative relationship among PhDs in the program. We constantly look for ways to support each other and ensure that all of us have as positive an experience as possible. We also are constantly exploring research topics on which we can collaborate, both with fellow sport management-focused PhDs and with PhDs in other areas of the business school.
