Three West Virginia University alums were recently recognized as national leaders in the profession of sport management.

Brian Crow, Jacquelyn Cuneen and Dan Mahony, all graduates of WVU s sport management program in the School of Physical Education, have each served as president of the prestigious North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM).

All three were recognized for their service during the NASSM 2007 Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. May 30-June 2. The NASSM was founded in 1985 and has had 20 past presidents. Fifteen percent of those presidents have been WVU grads.

In addition, Mahony was honored with the 2007 Earle F. Zeigler Lecture Award at the annual banquet, held during the conference. The national award is the NASSM s most distinguished honor, presented to those who have made significant contributions in terms of scholarship, research and leadership.

This speaks well of the quality of students graduating from our program,said WVU sport management program coordinator Dallas Branch.Im very proud of all of our graduates.

Mahony received his master’s degree from WVU in 1990 and his doctorate from The Ohio State University in 1995. He currently serves as associate university provost for academic planning and accountability and professor at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky.

Mahony credits WVU s program with helping him build the foundation of his leadership in sport management.

My experience at WVU was great,he said.As a student, I put together marketing plans and learned the latest software technology at WVU . I was very well prepared for the practical work in sport management.

Cuneen graduated from WVU in 1988 with a doctorate in physical education and the administration of sport, and she also won the Zeigler Award in 2003. She now serves as a professor at Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green, Ohio.

WVU changed my life,Cuneen said.It showed me a whole new world. My education helped me to combine my passion for sport with teaching. The program at WVU has produced some good leaders in the sport industry and in academe, and you cant ask more of a program than that.

Crow earned two advanced degrees at WVU , a masters in business administration in 1991 and a doctorate in education with an emphasis on sport management in 1994. He is currently an associate professor in sport management at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in Slippery Rock, Pa.

WVU has a strong program preparing students for academic careers and careers in the sport industry,said Crow, whose brother, Craig, finished a masters in sport management and is completing a doctorate in higher education with a sport management emphasis at WVU .

WVU s sport management program has prepared qualified graduate and undergraduate students since 1981. The program is one of only 13 in the nation that was fully approved in a program review process in 2001 by NASSM and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). There are 275 sport management programs in the United States and Canada and more than 350 worldwide.

A unique feature of the curriculum is that WVU students are offered specific training in state-of-the-art Paciolan Systems computer software in ticketing, and the ESPN Sports Poll. Paciolan is currently used by 90 percent of the Division I-A athletic programs and a growing number of professional sports teams including the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies.

In 2005, WVU ’s first online masters degree in sport management was offered. The online master’s program is offered to practicing professionals in the sport industry who wish to advance in their current careers.

WVUs sport management program is a center for excellence,said Branch.We teach, mentor and prepare students for careers in the field of sport management as well as anyone in the country.

The sport management program at WVU has 120 undergraduate majors, 375 undergraduate pre-majors and 20 graduate students. The program is diverse, receiving applications from throughout the United States, Asia, Canada, Australia and Europe. Admission to the graduate program is competitive�€approximately 15-20 students per year are selected from more than 100 applications. Students are selected based on academics, demonstrated leadership, practical experience and goals.

Every class gets very close and forms a type of �€~familyunit,Branch noted.Students do a lot of athletic-related work together. They socialize. After they graduate, that connection develops into a professional peer group.

On top of an outstanding academic program, students are taught important values, Branch said.

We teach students that no matter what they decide to do, to do their best,Branch said.We also teach students to always give back to the program. Giving back can be as simple as helping someone to obtain an internship.

Sport management is a growing field, but it is also a challenging major, Branch noted. Graduates have made significant contributions in a variety of sport settings including intercollegiate athletics, professional sports, facilities and arenas, event marketing and promotions, as well as other sport businesses.

For more information about WVU s sport management program, visithttp://www.wvu.edu/~physed/or contact Branch at 304-293-3295, ext. 5264.