LEADERSHIP 2021-22
SVERG is led by a board of directors who represent sports venue researchers from across North America.
University of Michigan
Director, SVERG (2021-22)
Director, Michigan Center for Sports Venues and Real Estate Development
Dr. Long's research interests lie at the intersection of sports, tourism, city planning and economic development, with an emphasis on impacts on host cities. She is an expert in the finance and delivery of sports and touristic infrastructures via public-private partnerships. Her projects focus on planning for sports and tourism mega-projects, with a current focus on Sport + Entertainment Districts and planning for the Olympic Games.
University of New England
Director, SVERG (2021-22)
Dr. Gordon's research examines the role that emotion plays in sport spectators' consumption of sport venues and related products. While he uses different methods and corresponding frameworks throughout this research, it contains two, uniting characteristics. First, it is 'place-centric'; he examine the role that built and natural environments serve as sites for human engagement in sporting contexts. Second, his research is oriented toward interaction; that is, he is very interested in uncovering the reasons why, and the ways in which, humans interact with one another in, and/or with, various sporting places and spaces. Thus, his work contributes to sport venue design and management, fan behavior, sport tourism, and the influence of security protocol and related technologies on the sport consumer experience.
Arizona State University
Director, SVERG (2021-22)
Prof. Hillestad has been in the built environment industry for twenty years and has worked in six states on varying projects and facilities. He is a doctoral candidate at Arizona State University, studying Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. His dissertation topic is the influence of facility condition assessments for organizational decision making. In addition to his teaching responsibilities in the Construction Management program, he developed through partnership with industry, a new Facilities Operations & Management program to serve the needs of the upper Midwest. Hillestad spent 17 years as a Facility Operator in both professional and collegiate management of stadiums and arenas. He is a member of IFMA, ASHRAE, AFE and IAVM.
University of Florida
Director, SVERG (2021-22)
Dr. Kaplanidou's main research explores the impacts and legacies of sport events on communities. Specifically, she examines residents’ perceptions of such impacts and legacies and the level of support they provide for the event when they observe quality of life benefits in their community. In addition, her research examines the impact of the sport event experience on sport event participants’ intentions to continue to exercise and take part in more sport events. Dr. Kaplanidou has conducted research for the International Olympic Committee related to the legacy of the Olympic Games and a number of sport related organizations. She has professional experience working with the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
Georgia State University
Director, Center for Sport + Urban Policy
Director, SVERG (2021-22)
Dr. Kellison's research is focused on sport in the urban environment, with special emphasis in sustainability and sport ecology, urban planning, public policy and politics. He has received multiple recognitions, including being designated a North American Society for Sport Management Research Fellow and being named a Fulbright Specialist in Urban Planning. Additionally, he served on an international working group convened by the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and served as a co author of the U.N.’s Sports for Climate Action Framework.
University of Alberta
Director, SVERG (2021-22)
Dr. Mason’s research focuses on sports leagues and franchises, cities, events, and infrastructure development. He has used several different theoretical approaches to underpin his research, including urban regime theory, stakeholder theory, agency theory, the resource-based view of the firm, status, media framing, and contingent valuation method.
University of Waterloo
Director, Spectator Experience and Technology (SEAT) Lab
Director, SVERG (2021-22)
Dr. Potwarka's research focuses on consumer behaviour related to sport events. It addresses the overarching question: under what conditions do sport events have positive impacts for individuals and organizations in host communities? His research draws from diverse disciplinary perspectives (e.g., social psychology, geography) and methodological approaches. The knowledge generated from Luke’s work is aimed to improve event management practices in ways that maximize participation and economic-related impacts that can result from hosting elite-sport events. To this end, his research falls within two broad themes: (i) Exploring the role of elite-sport events in the promotion of physical activity and sport participation; and (ii) exploring commercial and tourism-related responses to elite sport events.