Dr. Packianathan Chelladurai (center) is presented with a commemorative painting in conjunction with his receipt of the Sport Management Scholar Lifetime Achievement Award at the Southern Sport Management Conference from artist Douglas C. Hess (left) and Dr. Damon P.S. Andrew (right), dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Troy University.

Chelladurai, a professor of sport management at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, accepted the award from Dr. Damon Andrew, dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Troy University, which hosts the SSMA conference.

The award, which was established to recognize individuals who have made significant scholarly contributions to the academic field of sport management, was presented to Chelladurai during a dinner held to conclude the first day of conference activities.

In conjunction with the award, Chelladurai received

An internationally recognized scholar of management science, Chelladurai has authored five books and contributed more than 100 articles to the sport management literature.

He is the former editor of the Journal of Sport Management and current member of its editorial board, as well as associate editor of the Journal of Intercollegiate Sport.

Chelladurai also has been honored with the Earle F. Zeigler Award from the North American Society for Sport Management and the Merit Award for Distinguished Service to Sport Management Education from the European Association for Sport Management.

He currently teaches courses in human resource management in sport, the management of sport delivery systems, and research development in sport, as well as conducting the Ohio State doctoral research colloquium.

Beyond his many formal recognitions, Andrew cited the importance of Chelladurai's personal touch in dealing with individuals as his most admirable characteristic.

"Of all Dr. Chelladurai's numerous accomplishments, I most admire him for his desire and passion to impact the field through his mentorship of graduate students," Andrew said.

"Throughout his career, he has directly influenced aspiring scholars and broadly influenced those within the field of sport management through his insightful writing, research, and counsel."

Dr. Colby B. Jubenville, director of the Center for Sport Policy & Research at Middle Tennessee State University and publisher of the Journal of Sport Administration & Supervision, noted the fitting nature of honoring Chelladurai at a conference designed to provide sport management scholars, practitioners, and students with information on current industry trends and issues via academic and professional presentations.

Jubenville also noted Chelladurai's influence on the establishment of the journal, which was launched in conjunction with the conference.

"As a pioneer of applying general management theory to the sport industry, Dr. Chelladurai championed the application of the open systems approach to sport management, which had an immeasurable impact on what we teach and research today," Jubenville said.

"The systems approach is a major component of the journal's vision, which, like the Southern Sport Management Association Conference, seeks to provide sport industry practitioners with a source of cutting-edge information."

"The practical nature of both the journal and the conference rest squarely on the theoretical base that Chelladurai helped build, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for that," Jubenville added.

Dr. Fred Green, conference director and associate professor in Troy University's Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion, remarked that Chelladurai's honor was the crown jewel of a conference fast emerging as a can't-miss event in the sport management academy.

"We are very pleased with the results of our fifth annual Southern Sport Management Conference," Green said.

"We welcomed participants from 10 different states who seemed to receive the conference's theme of blending professors with practitioners very well."

"Students, professors, and professionals in the field of sport management are able to use the conference as a means to increase their knowledge, as well as to network with fellow sport management participants, and we look forward to further growth and involvement from those interested in sport management," Green added.

For more information, please contact:

Journal of Sport Administration & College of Health & Human Supervision Services

Dr. Colby Jubenville
Publisher                                                                           
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615-898-2909

Dr. Damon P. S. Andrew
Dean
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334-670-3712