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Dr. Algerian Hart (left) and Alex Deeb. Deeb, a graduate student in the WIU Department of Kinesiology's sport management program, was recently honored with the Gary Sailes Diversity Scholarship Award at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) Conference.
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Eight graduate students in the Western Illinois University Department of Kinesiology's sport management program attended the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Conference in early November. Pictured, L to R, are: Kieron James; Ryan Demming, Alexander Deeb, Dwayne Hagenow, Marloes van Eijkelenburg, Alaina Di Giorgio, Terri Anderson and Ryan Krzyzkowski.
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WIU Sport Management Student Honored with Diversity Scholarship Award at International Conference

November 23, 2015

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MACOMB, IL — Earlier this month, a Western Illinois University graduate student was honored with the Gary Sailes Diversity Scholarship Award at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) Conference. Alex Deeb (Peoria, IL), who is studying sport management in the WIU Department of Kinesiology, was awarded the $500 scholarship in Santa Fe (NM).

Sailes, for whom the scholarship is named, received the 2011 Distinguished Service Award from the NASSS and has authored six books and more than 100 articles about the sport industry. (See garysailes.webs.com for more information.) According to WIU Department of Kinesiology Professor and Graduate Coordinator Algerian Hart, the Gary Sailes award is a graduate student research scholarship. Darcy Plymire, assistant professor in kinesiology, nominated Deeb.

"The scholarship seeks faculty nominations for young scholars with promise. The nominated students, who have a diverse emphasis within their scholarship, are placed into a pool that is evaluated and compared/contrasted with other young scholars attending universities and colleges in North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Australia," Hart noted. "Alex is truly reflective of the high-quality graduate student WIU is recruiting. The faculty and staff in the WIU Department of Kinesiology promote the development of our graduate majors and foster excellence among our graduate students. Mr. Deeb is the cream of the crop. His line of research has the potential to become very impactful in the arena of sport scholarship for years to come."

Deeb said receiving the award was an "especially memorable" moment for him, as Sailes congratulated him in person.

"Receiving the award has only made me want to work harder, because I know that the real work has just begun. It has provided me with the confidence to progress through my academic career with the knowledge that I am in a field of study that is truly rewarding in more ways than one," Deeb said.

Representing WIU Student Research

He, along with six other sport management students, also presented at the conference. According to Deeb, the annual NASSS conference draws students from universities across the North America and provides them with opportunities to engage with faculty members and other professionals from various institutions.

"The NASSS conference provides a platform for all of us to present some of our own research. Of the eight students who attended the conference, seven of us were involved in presentations," Deeb noted. "The conference also gives attendees a unique space in which to engage with other scholars in the sport sociology sphere. This is particularly important for students who may be interested in pursuing doctorate degrees, as they are able to connect with faculty members they may be able to study under in the near future."

Sport management students who presented their research (on a variety of sport industry topics) at NASSS included:

  • Terri Anderson (Haysville, KS): "The Underrepresentation of Women in Sport; Choice or Discrimination";
  • Alexander Deeb and Ryan Demming (Fayetteville, NC): "Redefining Sport Stereotypes: The Black Athlete";
  • Alaina Di Giorgio (Macomb, IL): "A Feminist Look at What Is Feminine";
  • Dwayne Hagenow (Macomb, IL): "Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer: Student Assistants or Full-Time Employees";
  • Ryan Krzyzkowski (Franklin, WI): "Exploring the Experience of Injured Student-Athletes";
  • Marloes van Eijkelenburg (Middleburg, Holland): "Collaboration in Academia; Expanding and Exceeding Sports Studies."

Deeb noted, from a student perspective, it's beneficial to present at NASSS for different reasons.

"It is a very student-friendly environment, where students are often encouraged to attend and meet as many professional scholars as possible. Secondly, it is likely that students who are presenting will refer to sources written by other members who are attending the conference. By engaging with such individuals, students are able to further their research and develop a better understanding of their subject matter," he said. "Finally, presenting at NASSS is beneficial because it grants students an opportunity to experience a professional presentation. Presenting in front of classmates is one thing, but presenting to a room full of scholars who know your material as well as (if not better than) you, is something else entirely. It is truly an experience that cannot be duplicated or replicated."

In addition, three kinesiology faculty members, including Hart and Plymire, presented at NASSS. Plymire presented "Since Cheryl Miller: Reflections on Two Decades of Social Media and Sport Research," and Hart and Mark E. Cole, assistant professor, presented "Youth Sport Parents: Toxic or Tonic?"

"WIU Department of Kinesiology Chair Janet Wigglesworth also attended the conference, showing great solidarity at NASSS," Hart said. "At the conference, WIU received tremendous recognition, with four faculty members and eight graduate students in attendance, doubling all other institutions' participant numbers with students attending and presenting."

Deeb plans to graduate in May 2016 and is considering pursuing a Ph.D. program after he finishes his master's degree at Western.

"I hope to find a program that will allow me to further my research interests and to help student-athletes prepare for life after their playing careers are over," Deeb said.

For more information about the sport management program, contact the WIU Department of Kinesiology at (309) 298-1981.

Posted By: Teresa Koltzenburg (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing