McCormack Department of Sport Management Announces Class of 2026 Alumni Award Winners
The Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management is proud to announce its newest class of alumni award recipients. The class includes five alumni who will receive the program’s highest honor, the Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award, and five alumni who will receive the program’s Steve McKelvey Alumni on the Rise Award.
“We are so proud to recognize this remarkable group of sport industry leaders, whose accomplishments highlight the lasting impact of our alumni across the sport industry,” said Department Chair Matt Katz, PhD. “The Awards Banquet is always a highlight of the year, and this year’s honorees set an inspiring standard. We look forward to welcoming them back to campus so our current students can learn from their experience and guidance as they prepare to become the next generation of sport industry leaders.”
The new class of alumni award winners will be recognized at the annual McCormack Awards Banquet on Monday, May 6, at the UMass Campus Center. Below are this year’s recipients:
Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award
Since 1993, the McCormack Department of Sport Management has awarded the Harold J. VanderZwaag Distinguished Alumnus Award in honor of Dr. VanderZwaag’s unwavering dedication and commitment to the department. Honorees are alumni who display professional excellence, outstanding achievement in the sports industry, and dedication to the McCormack Department of Sport Management.
Li Li Leung '03MBA/MS
Li Li Leung most recently served as the president and chief executive officer of USA Gymnastics (USAG) from 2019-2025, stepping down after overseeing a cultural transformation and an unprecedented run of success at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
With a new board of directors, mission statement, and set of organizational values that prioritizes athlete safety, USAG’s transformation under Leung was rooted in “The Three P’s” of new people, priorities, and policies. In December 2020, Leung led the establishment of USAG’s Athlete Bill of Rights, a movement that was among the first of its kind in sport. USAG now provides comprehensive health and wellness resources for its members and has some of the most robust mandatory and optional training for parents, coaches, and adult members in sports.
Among the many recognitions she has received since joining USA Gymnastics, Leung was named a Sports Business Journal “Power Player” in 2020 and an SBJ Gamechanger in 2024, was recognized on the 2023 A100 list honoring the most impactful Asian Pacific Leaders, and was named a 2025 WISE Woman of the Year.
Prior to joining USAG, Leung served as a vice president at the National Basketball Association, where she was responsible for building, leading, negotiating, and managing key partner relationships around the world. Prior to that, she was managing director at the global sports management firm Helios Partners. Leung recently served as a 2025 McCormack Scholar, the first program alumnus to do so.
Hunter Lochmann ’96MS
Hunter Lochmann is a senior sports marketing and business operations executive with more than 25 years of experience driving brand strategy, fan engagement, and revenue growth across the NBA, NHL, and major collegiate athletic leagues. He currently serves as chief marketing officer at Monumental Sports & Entertainment, leading integrated marketing, digital, merchandising, community relations, and game presentation efforts for the Washington Wizards, Capitals, and associated properties. Previously, he held senior leadership roles with the Phoenix Suns, served as chief marketing officer for the University of Michigan Athletic Department, and led marketing for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Lochmann began his career at the NBA league office in Team Marketing & Business Operations and with MAI Sports. Recognized for innovative go-to-market strategy, premium revenue support, and team leadership, he consistently delivers impactful growth through consumer-focused storytelling and brand activation.
Lochmann received B.S in sport management from the School of Education at the University of Kansas in 1994, and his master’s degree in sport management from UMass Amherst in 1996.
Alycen McAuley '99MS
Alycen McAuley serves as chief business officer of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, leading business operations with a focus on growth and transformation. Her extensive career spans corporate sponsorships at Charles Schwab, founding and managing a leading Olympic marketing agency, guiding global marketing for a sporting goods company, and pioneering digital sports marketing. She has delivered programs for major brands including Liberty Mutual, Microsoft, Sprint, Constellation Wines, and multiple Olympic National Governing Bodies including USA Hockey, US Ski & Snowboard, USA Softball, and USA Wrestling.
Under her leadership, the Mystics have achieved significant revenue growth and earned league recognition for best-in-class fan engagement. She also launched the District of Change platform, leveraging the power of sports to drive community impact, empower women and girls, and celebrate female leadership.
McAuley holds degrees from Fairfield University and UMass Amherst and is a former Fulbright Scholar, published sports marketing author, and proud mom of two sons.
Mark Scialabba ’06MBA/MS
Mark Scialabba is general manager of Volt Intelligence, a technology startup developing innovative baseball training systems. A senior Major League Baseball executive with over two decades of experience, Scialabba most recently served as assistant general manager, player personnel, for the Washington Nationals, where he played a pivotal role in building a World Series championship organization from the ground up. During his 20 years with the club, he contributed across Player Development, Scouting, and Major League Operations, helping develop more than 70 homegrown Major League players, including Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, and Anthony Rendon, and keeping the Nationals among baseball's elite contenders for a decade.
Scialabba holds an MBA and a master's degree in sport management from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, as well as a BA in economics from Williams College, where he was the 2002 NESCAC Player of the Year and a Regional All-American in baseball. He resides in Washington, DC, with his wife, Meredith, and their three children.
Leslie Wurzberger '91MS
Leslie Wurzberger is a distinguished sports industry executive whose career reflects sustained excellence, innovation, and service. With more than three decades of leadership experience, she has made lasting contributions to collegiate athletics, sports marketing, and global live-event delivery. As senior vice president, program management at On Location, Wurzberger leads the strategic planning and execution of premium fan experiences for world-class partners including the NFL, NCAA, UCF, and WWE. Her prior executive leadership at Anthony Travel was instrumental in expanding international college football events, including the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Earlier in her career, she spent nearly two decades at the University of Washington advancing marketing, licensing, and revenue strategy. A NACMA Hall of Fame inductee, Wurzberger is widely respected for her impact on the industry and her commitment to leadership development and mentorship.
Wurzberger received her BS in business from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. She earned her master’s degree in sport management from UMass in 1991.
Steve McKelvey Alumni on the Rise Award
Launched in 2013, this award recognizes alumni who have graduated within the past five to ten years and have demonstrated exceptional achievement within the sport industry while giving back through time and resources to the McCormack Department of Sport Management at Isenberg. In 2022, the award was renamed in honor of Professor Steve McKelvey in recognition of his passion for industry engagement and the career development of McCormack students and alumni.
Abby Higgins ‘17
Abby Higgins is a business development professional currently serving as a revenue lead at LIV Golf, where she supports the organization’s commercial growth as it continues to expand the game of golf globally. Before joining LIV Golf, Higgins held leadership roles across multiple areas of the sports and entertainment industry.
At Elevate, she led business development for collegiate and professional sports within the Elevate Marketplace sector. Prior to that, she worked at StubHub, where she led go-to-market strategy for a new product in the sport ticketing space. Higgins also spent six seasons with the New York Mets, where she was responsible for recruiting, training, and managing a team of 30 inside sales representatives.
Higgins earned her BS in sport management from the McCormack Department of Sport Management within the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst in 2017. Originally from Newton, Massachusetts, she now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband Louis and their goldendoodle Bailey.
Sam Barlow '15
Originally from Newburyport, MA, Sam Barlow is a proud McCormack alumnus, earning his BS in sport management in 2015. Barlow currently serves as the VP of ticket sales and service at Boston Legacy Football Club, set to begin their inaugural season this year.
Following his graduation, Barlow was hired by fellow McCormack alum Michelle Price and spent four years as an inside sales representative at the New York Mets. After the Mets, Barlow made the jump to Washington, DC, to become the manager of inside sales for the Washington Wizards. Barlow worked under another fellow UMass alumnus, Carly Salerno, for two years.
Barlow spent the following four years with the Washington Commanders, building their inside sales program from the ground up. Barlow credits the strength of the McCormack alumni and Professor Steve McKelvey’s sales and promotion class for encouraging him to pursue a career in sales.
Scott Litwack '15MS
Scott Litwack is in his eleventh season with the New Jersey Devils. He currently holds the title of vice president of hockey operations and works closely with all members of the Devils’ management team.
Litwack's responsibilities include player contract negotiations, salary arbitration, salary cap management, and all day-to-day roster administrative duties. He is also the club's liaison to the NHL for all matters pertaining to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2013, Litwack completed his MS in sport management from UMass Amherst in 2015. Litwack started his career with the Devils as a PR and communications intern during the 2015-16 season and has held several different titles with the Devils since. Litwack also previously interned with the ECHL league office and has worked with several youth hockey programs in New Jersey.
Alex Mercer ‘15
Alex Mercer is director of events for The Tournament, which owns and operates The Basketball Tournament (TBT) and The Soccer Tournament (TST). In this role, he serves as general manager of TBT event operations and oversees several key elements of TST operations, including the food and beverage program, onsite partner activations, and more.
Prior to his current role, Mercer led sponsorship sales for The Tournament and secured several partnerships (Sling, Chick-fil-A, Ally, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, and more) that solidified TBT's position as a fixture in global basketball and contributed to TST's dramatic rise since its launch in 2023. Mercer held previous roles at SJX Partners (now Wasserman), MarketCast, and LeagueSide, where he built expertise in sponsorship sales, execution, strategy, and measurement.
Away from work, Mercer enjoys spending time with his growing family, playing basketball, hiking, and fishing. He remains a passionate fan of his hometown Philadelphia sports teams. Mercer graduated cum laude from the Isenberg School of Management in 2015, earning his BS in sport management from the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management.
Nishant Nereyeth ’17MBA/MS
Nishant Nereyeth is an independent strategic consultant driven by the unique power of sport to educate, empower, and connect. Originally from Bangalore, India, his early career included organizing marathons and working for Rugby India before moving to the U.S. to study sport management at UMass Amherst. Following his 2017 graduation with a dual degree from McCormack, he helped found Rugby United New York—the city’s first professional rugby team—leading the club’s launch and operations through its inaugural season.
Nereyeth later moved into a pivotal role at Major League Rugby (MLR) as senior director of operations and strategy. There, he designed the league’s operational foundations, directly fueling its commercial and marketing growth. Now based in North Vancouver, he consults for "challenger" organizations, leveraging data-driven strategies to build authentic community connections. When not immersed in sport, Nereyeth is usually exploring the British Columbia outdoors with his wife Mihira and their dog Jinka.