Last Updated on February 13, 2024
Writers and Contributors
Meet the Sports Degrees Online Team!
Dr. Zach Damon
Professor Zack Damon is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Texas Tech University. He researches leadership and organizational theory in sport, specifically examining leadership in sport organizations as well as follower development in sports. Dr. Damon works with practitioners in the industry through research and consulting opportunities geared around organizational performance and management. Professor Damon earned his PhD in Sport Management from Texas A&M University, and spent time as a professor at the University of South Dakota and the University of Central Arkansas prior to coming to Texas Tech. Check out his Profile Page for more.
Dr. Alan Chu
Dr. Tsz Lun (Alan) Chu is Associate Professor of Applied Sport Psychology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. His research and expertise include psychosocial aspects of sport, exercise, and health. Dr. Chu conducts both quantitative and qualitative research on the roles of social agents (e.g., coaches, parents, peers) in motivation for youth sport and physical activity. Dr. Chu is also a CMPC who works with athletes and coaches – from high school to professional levels across sports – on mental skills training including goal setting and visualization. Professor Chu lives an active lifestyle and remains highly involved in sports, specializing in table tennis as a competitive player and an internationally certified coach. He currently serves on the coaching committee of the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association and teaches the coaching certification course. For more about Dr. Alan Chu, visit his Profile Page.
Bryan Haggerty
Born and raised in eastern Connecticut, earned a degree in Philosophy, Religious Studies and East Asian Studies from Saint Michaels College outside of Burlington, VT, where he also played four years of Division II soccer in the competitive Northeast 10 Conference.
After college Bryan moved to Thailand, where he taught English and writing at Chiang Mai University. Bryan began volunteering for local NGOs (non-profits) in northern Thailand, advocating for indigenous rights and sustainable development projects for remote highland villages in the region. Bryan wrote grants and reports for these organizations, and assisted local PhD candidates with the English version of their thesis projects.
In 2006, Bryan took his first role in the world of Outdoor Recreation Management when he was hired as a program leader for Rustic Pathways in Thailand, a leading international education and travel company. After witnessing the transformative power that these types of experiences can have on both the students and the host communities, Bryan was all-in on this model of experiential education and travel.
To this day, Bryan credits the evolution of his career in Outdoor Sports & Recreation Management to his passion for bringing people together through sport. Bryan now resides in the northern Green Mountains, seeking mountain biking and skiing adventures with his wife, his son, and his dog whenever possible.
View Bryan Haggerty’s complete profile here.
Tim Porter-DeVriese
Tim is an avid distance runner who competed in track and field and captained his cross country team as a student growing up in a rural corner of western Massachusetts. Professor-led visits to China and Central America while studying fine art at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston sparked an interest in international education.
Working with organizations including Rustic Pathways, National Geographic Student Expeditions, New York Times Student Journeys, and Parachute Bridge, he has strived to equip students with the skills, experiences, and self-awareness necessary to thrive as they choose college majors and careers.
An avid traveler, he lived and led student groups in Southeast Asia for 5 years and then went on to design and coordinate experiential education programs for post-high school gap year students, focusing on career exploration and personal growth in preparation for college success. He developed and coordinated a variety of international programs utilizing sports such as soccer, surfing, skiing, and backpacking to help students develop teamwork, resilience, cultural awareness, and empathy.
He co-founded and contributes content to Sports Degrees Online with the aim of connecting students and professionals who love sports and the outdoors with inspiring mentors and powerful degree programs that will turn their passions into rewarding careers.
After years of living semi-nomadically, Tim and his wife have settled more or less permanently in Charlemont, Massachusetts.
View Tim Porter-Devriese’s full profile here.
John Cody
Growing up playing baseball, golf, and running track, he still gets involved in any pickup basketball or volleyball game he comes across and loves trying out new sports. Currently spikeball and pickleball are among his favorites.
After completing a degree in Marketing from Providence College in Rhode Island, John worked with the Pawtucket Red Sox, the previous AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and has since worked in the recreation and experiential education industry for over five years.
View John Cody’s complete profile here
Madeline Kopp
Madeline is a lifelong athlete who loves to write, create, and inspire- and her favorite place to work is any space in which these all intersect. Madeline competes professionally as an 800m runner, runs her own personal blog, and works as a freelance writer. She wants to create content that inspires healthy lifestyles and promotes change for a better world. Everyone’s opportunity has not been the same, but she wants to spread possibility through participating with non-profits, supporting fitness and health initiatives, and growing her healthy lifestyle website.
She holds a BA in Global Cultural Studies in Literature and a Policy Journalism and Media Certificate from Duke University. She also has a Paralegal Certificate from George Mason. View Madeline Kopp’s complete profile here.
Expert Reviewers
Dr. Laura Kunkel
Dr. Laura Kunkel has been an athletic trainer and educator for over 15 years and has a wide range of experiences as an athletic trainer. She is currently the director of the Master of Science in Athletic Training at the University of Texas at Arlington. She also serves the profession as a volunteer with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), Southwest Athletic Trainers’ Association (SWATA), and Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). Dr. Kunkel can be reached at laura.kunkel2@uta.edu.
View Dr. Laura Kunkel’s full profile here.
Dr. Beau Greer
Dr. Beau Kjerulf Greer is the Director of the Exercise Science and Nutrition Master’s Program at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. Dr. Greer earned his PhD from Florida State University in Human Movement with a concentration in Exercise Physiology. As a competitive powerlifter, he held multiple state, national, and world records in the drug-free World Natural Powerlifting Federation, some of which still stand. Dr. Greer is the Director of Nutritional Education and Fitness Testing at Sherpa in Westport, CT, and he is the health and conditioning consultant for the Bridgeport Police Academy. He has been published in numerous journals and recently presented his work at the International Conference on Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences held in Athens, Greece.
View Dr. Beau Greer’s full profile here.
Dr. Ted Hayduk
Ted Hayduk is an Assistant Professor at NYU’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport. His research focuses on the marketing and management of technology startups in sport and entertainment. He also studies the formation and development of sport-technology ecosystems. He is the co-editor of Statistical Modeling and Sports Business Analytics (Routledge, 2020). He has helped produce a number of white papers alongside FOX Sports, and consults with startups in the NYC area as it relates to marketing, consumer behavior, and strategy. His scholarly research has been published in a number of leading journals, including Journal of Sport Management, Journal of Sport Economics, Sport Marketing Quarterly, and International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Management.
View Dr. Ted Hayduk’s full profile here.
Dr. Matthew Jones
Dr. Matthew Jones has been a part of the sport psychology field for the past 8 years, with teaching, research, and consulting experience. He is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and focuses his research on advancing the profession and field of sport psychology. He also has experience in mental performance consulting with a variety of populations and expertise levels and is a member of and Certified Mental Performance Consultant® through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. Dr. Jones can be reached at mjoneax@siue.edu.
View Dr. Matthew Jones’s full profile here.
Dr. Maylon Hanold
Maylon Hanold is Director of the Master in Sport Business Leadership program at Seattle University. She has taught courses in research methods for sport, sport sociology, sport leadership, women and sport leadership, human resources, sports events, and organizational effectiveness. Her research interests lie at the intersections of sport sociology, gender, and leadership. She has written about lived experiences in sport including ultra-running, long-distance running, and transgender recreational sport experiences.
View Dr. Maylon Hanold’s full profile here.
Dr. Tina Davlin-Pater
Dr. Tina Davlin-Pater is director of the athletic training program and an associate professor at Xavier University in Ohio. She earned a master’s degree in kinesiology (UNLV) and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Utah. Her current research interests include perception of orientation and the influence of visual cues on balance performance, metacognition, and teaching soft-skills.
View Dr. Tina Davlin-Pater’s full profile here.
Dr. Rebecca Achen
Rebecca M. Achen, Ph.D., is a professor of sport management at the University of the Pacific. She has extensive experience in sport marketing and sales and concentrates her research on relationship marketing and social media in professional sport.
View Dr. Achen’s full profile here.
Dr. Joey Gawrysiak
Dr. Joey Gawrysiak is the Director of the Esports program at Shenandoah University. He holds a Ph.D. in Sport Management and Policy from the University of Georgia, and sits on the advisory board for the World-Wide Scholastic Esports Federation and the board of directors for the National Association of Collegiate Esports.
View Dr. Gawrysiak’s full profile here
Cookie Rojas
Cookie Rojas is the Regional Supervisor in the Minor League Operations & Development department for Major League Baseball. Mr. Rojas previously worked in academia, teaching courses related to sports marketing and sport management at Tulane University, Johnson & Wales University, Loyola University, and Newman University.
View Cookie’s full profile here