McCormack Department Welcomes New Faculty

This fall, our program welcomes three new tenure-track Assistant Professors who are among the rising stars – both as teachers and researchers -- within the sport management academe. The new additions bring an impressive mix of industry experience and cutting edge scholarly research to our students and promise to significantly raise our reputation in a number of critical disciplines. Below is an introduction to our new faculty members!

Dr. Liz Delia

Lia Delia earned her PhD degree from Florida State University. Her research focuses on consumer behavior, branding, and sponsorship. As a doctoral student at Florida State, she published articles in academic journals including the Journal of Sport Management and Sport Management Review (both A ranked journals within our discipline) and was a finalist in the 2014 North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) Doctoral Student Research Competition. Prior to her doctoral studies, Liz worked in the market research industry as an analyst at Madison Square Garden, KJT Group, and KS&R, Inc. She earned her MBA from SUNY New Paltz in 2007, and BS from SUNY New Paltz in 2006.

“I am excited to join the faculty at UMass because of its dedication to excellence in both teaching and research,” says Liz. “In addition, the department’s expansive alumni network makes me excited about the opportunity to collaborate with alumni on teaching and research projects.”

Dr. Matt Katz

As Matt Katz shares, in his own words: “I was born and raised in Western Massachusetts, with a strong love of sports from a young age. I was the definition of a mediocre athlete growing up, playing basketball and baseball throughout high school. I attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA where I majored in economics and history. A graduate assistantship with Intramural Sports and Tournaments took me south, where I received an MS in Sport Management and an MA in History from Louisiana State University. I completed my PhD at the University of Texas in 2014, and spent the past year as an Assistant Professor at Miami University. My research focuses on the social structure of sport fanship – notably on groups of sport fans and the relationships between individual sport fans.

“I am incredibly excited to be starting my new position here at UMASS. Western Massachusetts has always been a special place for me and so much of my identity stems from my upbringing in this beautiful region. I have long admired the program at UMASS for its ability to provide high-quality educational experiences at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels – something few (if any) other programs can claim. I look forward to being a part of those experiences for many years to come!”

Dr. Nicole Melton

Nicole’s research focuses on diversity and inclusion in sport organizations. Dr. Melton earned her Ph.D., MS, and BBA from Texas A&M University, and has held previous academic positions at Seattle University and Texas Tech University. In her life before academia, she played collegiate and professional golf and then worked as a consumer test analyst for NIKEGOLF. As a professor, she maintains her connection to the sport industry by consulting with various organizations on how to make sport more accessible and inclusive for diverse populations. A few current partnerships include working with the San Antonio Spurs, National Pro Fastpitch, the Special Olympics, and espnW.

As Nicole further elaborates:

“My research focuses on diversity and inclusion in sport organizations. Within this line of work, I examine the antecedents of workplace or team inclusion and the subsequent performance benefits of creating such environments. In addition, I explore ways to empower sport employees and athletes to become effective change agents for social justice within sport. … Why UMass? Both the faculty and students at UMass are exceptional. I am excited to work with such talented people who continually look for ways to advance the sport industry.”

Will Norton

The Sport Management Department is also pleased to welcome back one of our own, MBA/MS alum Will Norton, who joins our faculty as a lecturer. Since graduating in 2012 (check year), Will has worked in account management at Ryan Partnership, a Connecticut-based promotion and consulting agency. His primary clients included Nestle Waters North America, Organic Valley, and Benjamin Moore. Among the courses that Will is teaching this coming year are: Sport Analytics, Strategic Sport Communication, and Sport & New Media. Welcome back, Will!!