Meet Our Faculty | Meet Our Advising Team
Meet the MS-SAL Faculty & Staff
The Master of Science in Sport Administration and Leadership faculty is comprised of experienced professionals who translate their hands-on experience to create a learning community centered on relevance and current trends in the sport industry.
Meet Our Faculty
Ken Troupe
Ken Troupe is the co-founder of SportsBiz Builders, and a sports sales and marketing veteran with over 28 years of experience. Ken is an established sports industry veteran with a proven track record of success in ticket sales management, staff development & mentoring, digital marketing expertise, and social media training experience. Whether it’s developing and implementing group sales concepts for the Atlanta Braves that grew revenue by 8% year over year or running Phoenix (Arizona) Coyotes ticket sales department for an 18-month engagement that resulted in a 12% growth in revenue, Ken can help you reimagine your process and put you on a path for further growth and success. Ken has a Bachelors in Sports Management from Texas A&M University and a Masters in Sports Administration from Ohio University. His experience includes stints with the Phoenix Coyotes, Minnesota Timberwolves, NY Giants, Turnstyles Ticketing, Sky Blue FC, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, and Houston Astros.
Mr. Troupe will teach the SAL capstone course.
Dr. Brittany Jacobs
Dr. Brittany Jacobs is an Assistant Professor and Department Chair for the Sport Management program at Nichols College. She is highly involved in the Olympic & Paralympic movements and before returning to academia worked for USA Rugby. Much of her current research centers around officials and other marginalized populations providing a direct connection to her previous coaching and officiating experiences. Brittany earned her Ph.D. from the University of Northern Colorado in Sport & Exercise Science with a Doctoral Minor in Statistics. She also holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Texas, a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of New Hampshire, and a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of New Hampshire, where she also played collegiate field hockey.
Dr. Jacobs will teach the Administration in Sport course.
Luke Mashburn
Luke Mashburn has extensive experience in event and facility operations in the sports industry. He has worked for four Division I athletic departments, a professional soccer team, and three professional sports leagues. Over the course of his career, he has opened three new buildings as the event or facility manager, managed over 25 athletic venues and buildings, and supervised hundreds of events. Luke has worked numerous NCAA postseason events, Concacaf Gold Cups, and the World Series. Academically, he will complete a PhD from Troy University in 2022 and has written several publications, including the Sport Management Encyclopedia entries for both event management and facility management.
Mr. Mashburn will teach the Facilities and Events Management course
Dr. Yuliana Umanets
Dr. Yuliana Umanets is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in professional and collegiate sports. She received her Doctor in Business Administration (DBA) degree from St. Thomas University, Miami, Florida, with a specialization in Sports Administration. With years of experience teaching at the university level, Dr. Umanets has taught a variety of traditional and remote sports management courses in undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Her research and professional interests include governance of intercollegiate athletics, sports leadership, legal and ethical issues in sport, sports marketing, and event management.
Holding servant leadership principles close to her heart, Dr. Umanets strives to lead by example and encourages students to engage in open-minded discussions of course materials, trending industry events, and organized group collaborations and projects to promote teamwork and foster multicultural awareness. At Midland University, Dr. Umanets will be teaching SAL 601 Legal Aspects of Sports Management, a course that provides an in-depth overview and analysis of legal principles and issues in sports management. The following course is designed to enrich students with a comprehensive knowledge of the United States legal system and provide unique insight into relevant sports management laws and ethical issues. The course also discusses important topics such as tort law and product liability, risk management, agency law, contract law, employment law, constitutional law, gender equity, intellectual property, antitrust law, and labor law.
Dr. Unamets will teach the Legal Aspects of Sport course.
Meet the Advising Team
Taylor Sheard
Assistant Director of Advising
Center for Graduate and Professional Studies
Email Address: sheard@midlandu.edu
Phone Number: 402-968-6743