Isenberg School of Management: Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management Meet the Doctoral Students

Home Undergraduate Program MS and MBA/MS Programs Doctoral Program Admission to Program The Student Experience Why McCormack Sport Management at Isenberg? Meet the Doctoral Students Financial Assistance Research Resources PhD Research Seminar Series McCormack Sport Management Student Organizations Faculty Alumni Speakers Program Experiential Learning Useful Links Contact the Department McCormack Center for Sport Research and Education Careers in Sport Management McCormack Initiatives	Ryan Spalding, PhD Candidate, 2014 Hometown: Palatine, IL Previous Education: BS Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University; MS Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University; MBA/MS Sports Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Work History: Three years at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, CA. Favorite Class(es) at Isenberg: Sport Economics with Dr. Longley. Favorite Amherst Restaurants: Does Taco Bell count as an Amherst restaurant? Favorite Western Mass Activities: Trips to Deals and Steals (Northampton) and Aldi (Hadley) for some low cost food stuffs. Why UMass? The integration of the sport management department into the School of Management was the initial draw for me, as well its outstanding reputation. Is UMass what you expected? I came here for the MBA/MS dual degree and was so satisfied by the program and faculty that I decided to continue with the PhD! What are your research goals? I am interested in sport economics, and in particular would love to perform some research on the professional poker industry. Any advice for people applying to a doctoral program? Look into as many programs as possible to find the perfect match for you. In particular, investigate the faculty to find someone whose interests align with your own. Mujde Yuksel, PhD Candidate, 2014 Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey Previous Education: Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, MBA in Sport Management Favorite Class(es) at Isenberg: Behavioral and social science in marketing, Qualitative research, Theory and science in marketing Favorite Amherst Restaurants: Moti, Lone Wolf Favorite Western Mass Activities: Hiking and biking, attending UMass sports games, Calvin Theater concerts, UMass Fine Arts Center events Why UMass? UMass is internationally known for its expertise and excellence in Sport Management. Specifically, the program being integrated into the Business School has played an important role in my decision. Is UMass what you expected? My first year experience in UMass has given me more than I expected. Besides the valuable education we get in the doctoral program, my colleagues and the faculty have been extremely helpful and guiding. What are your research goals? My area of interest is Sports Marketing. I would like to do research in sports consumption, specifically motives in consumer behavior and consumer subcultures. Any advice for people applying to a doctoral program? You should definitely do an extensive research before deciding on the program and school you want to apply. A doctoral program is a huge investment of time and hard work; therefore, you should be devoted to what you want to study. Previous education: MBA in Sport Management, Bahcesehir University, Istanbul; B.S. in Business Administration Marmara University, Istanbul Work history: I played basketball professionally for 10 years, and worked for the organizing committee of FIBA World Championship as Sponsorship Director for 8 months. Chungyeol Lee, 2015 Hometown: