Photo caption: Beth Cianfrone (center) stands with her mentees, current CEHD student Armin Marquez (left) and CEHD alum Matt Blaszka (right) at the Sport Marketing Association's 2019 Conference.
story by Claire Miller
College of Education & Human Development Associate Professor Beth Cianfrone is the 2019 recipient of the Sport Marketing Association’s Stotlar Award.
The award, which Cianfrone received this month at the Sport Marketing Association’s annual conference in Chicago, Ill., is named after founding member David Stotlar and given annually to a university faculty member for their outstanding contributions to sport marketing education and graduate mentorship.
Cianfrone is the program coordinator for the college’s sport administration master’s program, which has been ranked No. 11 in North America and No. 13 internationally by SportBusiness International, a news organization that offers insight and analysis in the business of sport. She serves as co-director of the CEHD’s Center for Sport and Urban Policy and established the college’s Ph.D. program in sport administration. She is a dedicated research mentor, actively publishing and presenting studies with numerous graduate students, and has advised several award-winning teams at the Sport Marketing Association and College Sport Research Institute’s annual case study competitions.
Earlier this year, she coordinated “NFL Campus Connection: Inside the Super Bowl,” a series of panel discussions highlighting the ins and outs of planning Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, and served as a liaison among CEHD students, faculty, staff and alumni volunteers and the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee, NFL Super Bowl Experience and NFL Honors producers. Cianfrone often volunteers with her students at sporting and sport-related events – including the SEC Football Championship Game, SEC Coaches Luncheon and AT&T SEC Legends Dinner – and was a team leader of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship Green Ambassador program.
“I always admired Dr. Stotlar, his impact on the sport marketing field and his dedication to his graduate students,” Cianfrone said. “I am honored to receive this prestigious award.”
For more information about the award, visit http://www.sportmarketingassociation.com/the-stotlar-award.