Sport Management Faculty & Staff Directory
For general questions or concerns, please send an email to sport.management@wichita.edu or call (316) 978-5445. We are located in the Hubbard Hall room 221, so please stop by for a visit!
Sport Management Adjunct Lecturers
Courtney Calder
Area Manager,
Amazon
SMGT 511 Selling in Sport Industry
courtney.calder@wichita.edu
Ricki Ellison
Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce
SMGT 300 Tech in Sport Management
ricki.ellison@wichita.edu
Ricki Ellison is the Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce where she serves as an ambassador and advocate for inclusive and equitable initiatives, as well as act as a strategic partner to Chamber leaders, DEI workgroups and key stakeholders and investors. Also working to align DEI initiatives with business strategies focusing on the overall workforce, marketplace, and community, and develop and deliver innovative inclusive programs that align with business objectives for the city of Wichita and the surrounding region.
John Lee
Director, Campus Recreation
Wichita State University
SMGT 525 Sport Facility Management
john.lee@wichita.edu
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Sarah Mathews
Manager
Career Development at WSU Shocker Career Accelerator
SMGT 545 Sport Governance and Policy
sarah.mathews@wichita.edu
- Previously worked for 9 years in the WSU Athletic Department with roles in Athletic Academic Services and Compliance. Has a M.Ed. Sport Management from Wichita State and B.A. Mathematics from the University of North Texas. Former volleyball student-athlete at UNT. Wife and mom of 2!
Brad Pittman
Senior Associate Athletic Director
Wichita State University
SMGT 461 Legal Aspects Sport & Phy Activity
bpittman@goshockers.com
Brad Pittman, who served as the associate athletic director for facilities and operations
for 15 years, was promoted to senior associate athletic director for facilities and
operations at Wichita State in the summer of 2019.
Pittman currently oversees all athletic facilities operations, event management and
also has oversight for new construction and renovations to athletic venues. In addition,
he supervises the equipment room, strength and conditioning, baseball and men’s and
women’s tennis.
He has secured, managed and led several large events in his tenure at Wichita State
including the Rolling Stones Concert in 2006, NCAA Baseball in 2007, NCAA Women’s
Basketball in 2011, NCAA Volleyball in 2017, NCAA Men’s Basketball in 2018 and The
Basketball Tournament in 2019. He also led the bid efforts to secure First/Second
Rounds of NCAA Men’s Basketball in 2021 and Regional Rounds of NCAA Women’s Basketball
in 2022.
He previously served as Athletic Facilities Director at Western Kentucky from 2001-04.
He was also the assistant facilities director from 2000-01 for the Hilltoppers.
A 1998 graduate of Wisconsin-La Crosse in sport management, he also earned a master's
degree in sport administration from the school in 1999. He then interned at the University
of Iowa where he coordinated the 2000 Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Pittman and his wife Emily have a son, Sam and a daughter, Camryn. They reside in
Andover, Kan.
Nick Taylor
Men's Tennis Coach
Wichita State University
SMGT 520 Sport Tourn/Event Mgmt
Nicholas.Taylor@wichita.edu
One of the world’s most decorated wheel chair tennis players, Nick Taylor also lends his time to the Shocker men’s tennis program, in his ninth season with the Shockers, and first as Director of Operations. Taylor spent the last eight years as a Volunteer Assistant.
The three-time Paralympic doubles gold medalist carried the world’s No. 1 ranking for over 12 years and also spent 11 years in the top five of the singles charts.
Taylor is a 11-time grandslam champion, winning seven U.S. Open titles and four Australian Opens. He’s also represented the U.S. in every World Team Cup (the wheel chair equivalent of the Davis Cup) since 2000.
Taylor is active in the community through mentorship, often giving his time to help new players get started. He serves as Vice President of Wichita Adaptive Sports, Inc., is a member of the National Wheelchair Committee, and serves as chair of the Missouri Valley section of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
A Wichita native, Taylor started out as a fan of Shocker tennis 25 years ago, and began working with the team in 2004 as an intern through Wichita State’s Sport Administration program, where he earned his masters degree in 2007. Taylor began his work as a Volunteer Assistant in 2009.