Saad Alshamari

Saad Alshamari, from Doha, Qatar, received a B.S. in physical education from Qatar University and an M.S. in sport management from the University of Florida. His research areas of interest are in ticket sales, consumer behavior and the impact of hosting sport mega-events. While at UF, he worked as a student assistant at the department of TRSM and an assistant coordinator at the UF Athletic Association. Alshamari has worked in commercial banking, earned a Diploma of Refereeing (UEFA) from Nylon, Switzerland, and worked at the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA as an international referee. He also received an Executive Certificate in Marketing and Sales at Hautes etudes commerciales de Paris and a Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Leadership at the University College of London.

Storm Blitz

Storm Blitz joined the sport and entertainment management Ph.D. program in fall 2023. Blitz works full-time in the University of South Carolina Athletics Department as an academic advisor for the baseball, equestrian and men's soccer programs. Before joining the Gamecocks, she worked in the same capacity for Florida Gulf Coast University for over four years. A native of Fort Myers, Florida, Blitz attended Louisiana State University for her undergraduate studies, earning a Bachelor of Science in sport administration. She went on to receive a Master of Education from the University of Minnesota in applied kinesiology. Her research interests include college athletics, college baseball, the transfer portal and athletic academic advising. Her hobbies include supporting all the athletics teams at South Carolina, traveling for concerts and everything pop culture.

Colleen Dibble

Colleen Dibble entered the Ph.D. program in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management in 2023. It was a natural fit for Dibble having already earned her Master of Sport and Entertainment Management from USC. Dibble also has a Master of Arts in administrative leadership from the University of Oklahoma in addition to a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Purdue University. Originally from Avon, New Jersey, Dibble served in the United States Navy for 10 years, deploying to Japan and the Middle East. Dibble's research interests lie in brand equity, inclusion, sustainable growth in athletics, specifically in women’s athletics and NCAA women's basketball. In her spare time, Dibble enjoys anything on the water to include wake surfing, swimming, and surfing all over the world.

Rodrigo Feller

Rodrigo Feller is from São Paulo, Brazil. He received a B.S. in international business from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and an M.S. in sport administration from Ball State University. In 2016, Rodrigo worked at the Olympic Games as an NOC assistant, which led to his research interest in examining legacies left to host cities / nations after hosting mega events such as the Summer Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Rodrigo's research interests are also in the areas of international student-athletes' experiences and transitional challenges — interests he acquired due to his background as a former collegiate student-athlete. In his spare time, he enjoys going on road trips, traveling, surfing, playing soccer, learning new languages and exploring new cultures.

Courses Taught

SPTE 310 – Collegiate Athletics
SPTE 330 – The Summer Olympic Games
SPTE 380 – Sport and Entertainment Marketing

Rich Hart

Rich Hart joined the Ph.D. program in sport and entertainment management after first earning his B.S. in sport management from Hampton University and then a master's in sport business from Temple University. His professional work experience includes working in marketing and public relations with Comcast-Spectacor in Philadelphia (concerts, family shows, sporting events); boxing promotion at Philadelphia's legendary Blue Horizon; and sales/marketing with the Carolina Panthers. His research interests lie in socio cultural issues in sport, the intersection of race and sport, and the effects of stadium building on communities of color. With a love of all things Philadelphia sports, Hart also has musical talents that landed him a scholarship as an undergraduate at Hampton. Hart is the father to an incredible son, Elijah.

Courses Taught

SPTE 380 – Sport and Entertainment Marketing

Tsai-Anne Joseph

Tsai-Anne Joseph, originally from St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, is a Ph.D. candidate in sport and entertainment management at the University of South Carolina. She earned her undergraduate degree in plant sciences from the University of Missouri and holds a master’s in communication organizational leadership from Drury University and a master of sport and entertainment management from USC. Joseph's research focuses on organizational behavior within the sport and entertainment industries. A former national track athlete and track and field coach, she is deeply committed to promoting athletic excellence. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, rollercoasters and reading novels. Joseph is also a member of the HRSM Opportunities and Engagement Committee.

Jesse Kasser

Jesse Kasser is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kasser received his Bachelor of Science in marketing from Hofstra University and his Master of Science in sport administration from the University of Miami. His research is in college athletics and higher educational fundraising and he is currently working towards defending his dissertation. Kasser has lived in five different states, has worked for five higher educational institutions, is a co-founder of an early-stage tech startup venture called BarGlance, and currently works at the University of Texas as Director of Development for the Cockrell School of Engineering. He enjoys raising money, professional development, learning about our history’s great Founders, mentorship and spending quality time with family and friends.

Mateo Marquez

Mateo Marquez joined the Ph.D. program in sport and entertainment management in fall 2023, but he is no stranger to USC having previously earned his Master of Sport and Entertainment Management from the College of HRSM. Marquez, a native of Bogotá D.C., Colombia, received his Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Universidad de los Andes. His primary research interest is the economic impact new facilities have on communities and the resulting financial implications for a sport organization's bottom line. Marquez's hobbies include reading, writing, running, playing golf, listening to music, and watching European soccer and movies.

Christopher Scroggins

Chris Scroggins, from Waynesboro, Virginia, received both his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology / Exercise Science and Master of Science in Kinesiology / Sport and Recreation Leadership from James Madison University. Scroggins' research areas of interest are esports, underrepresented populations in sport, disability / adaptive sport, and social connectedness through sport. In his free time, Scroggins enjoys fishing and hiking. 

Ziqiang (Mavis) Wang

Ziqiang (Mavis) Wang enrolled in the Department of Sport and Entertainment Management's Ph.D. program in 2023. It was a natural progression for Wang, as she previously earned her Master of Sport and Entertainment Management from the University of South Carolina. Before coming to USC, Wang earned a Bachelor of Arts from Shanghai Normal University. Her research interests include cross cultural comparison between sports and relevant topics, and social inequalities in sporting events. Wang is also a member of the Sport Media and Cultural Studies Laboratory at USC. In her spare time, Wang enjoys hiking and training her dog, cooking and binge watching Friends.