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Send Dr. Li your congratulations!
Former Department Chair Dr. Ming Li was recently awarded the Garth Paton Distinguished Service Award, awarded annually by the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) to recognize a member's outstanding service contributions to the organization.
"All my major service contributions to the sport management profession (e.g., serving as 1) the president of NASSM, 2) the president of the Alliance for Sport Business, and 3) the chair of the Board of Commissioners of the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation or COSMA, etc.) were made during my tenure at Ohio University," said Dr. Li.
"Without the support and encouragement from my colleagues in sports administration at Ohio University, I don't think I would have gone this far. So, the credit for the Garth Paton Distinguished Service Award should also go to them. I really enjoyed my years at Ohio University and the experience of being part of a great sports administration family."
A member of NASSM for 22 years, Dr. Li served the organization is various capacities, including acting as President from 2008-2009. In 2005, Dr. Li and other members were able to "move the diversity agenda forward by making the Diversity Enhancement Task Force a standing committee of NASSM". Additionally, Dr. Li assisted the organization as a guest reviewer for the Journal of Sport Management, of which he served as a member of the editorial board for 17 years.
During his NASSM membership years, Dr. Li served as a stalwart professor and administrator for the Department of Sport Administration from 2002 to 2013. Upon arriving in Athens in 2002, Dr. Li guided 30 faculty members and more than 1,300 students in the 13 graduate and undergraduate programs in the School of Recreation and Sport Sciences, which was housed in the College of Health and Human Services.
As Director of the School of Recreation and Sport Sciences, Dr. Li assisted in faculty development in the areas of teaching, scholarly work, and professional activities, all while immersing himself in those areas as well. He has co-authored five books, seen his work published in numerous journals, and presented at a variety of forums and conferences. Faculty were not the only recipients of his tutelage. Dr. Li provided for student recruitment and advisement in Athletic Training, Coaching Education, Exercise Physiology, Sports Administration, and others.
"I can't think of anyone more deserving of this award than Dr. Ming Li," says Dr. Heather Lawrence-Benedict, who introduced Dr. Li to receive the award at the NASSM 2014 Conference. "He always puts others ahead of himself and during his time at Ohio University he was an exceptional advocate for the the Sport Management program as a whole as well as students, faculty, and alumni. His efforts are evident in the success of the Ohio University program and I am confident he will excel as Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University."
Dr. Li's ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with internal and external constituencies of the School was a valuable asset that translated to his next role after a campus-wide academic restructuring at Ohio University. In July 2010, the sports administration program area became a new unit in the College of Business, and Dr. Li was named the inaugural Chair of the Department of Sports Administration. The Department also housed the Center for Sports Administration, an auxiliary unit designed to serve as both a platform, bringing together alumni, current students, and sport industry leaders, and a resource to solve the issues facing the sport industry.
As Department Chair, Dr. Li bolstered the research program of department faculty, organizing the resources and facilities to support them, and promoted a high-quality learning environment for students, actively participating in departmental teaching. In support of the department's mission, Dr. Li developed interdepartmental and intercollegiate programs.
On Dr. Li's impact as Department Chair, Executive Director Jim Kahler said, "Ming's constant contributions to the Sports Administration Program at Ohio University have made a tremendous impact on the history of our program."
We congratulate Dr. Ming Li on his recognition as the 2014 Garth Paton Distinguished Service Award recipient!
Send him your congratulations!
