• Cole McGinnis (BS 2016) accepted a promotion to Director, Licensing and Consumer Products at NASCAR.  

• Kathleen Meek (BS 2017) accepted the position of Director of Tournament Services for the Charles Schwab Challenge.  

• Ezra Warren (BS 2017) accepted the position of Sales Associate at Heya Wellness.  

• Josten Boyer (BS 2019) accepted a promotion to Senior Account Executive, Group Sales with the Memphis Grizzlies.  

• Kyra Hassman (BS 2019) accepted the position of Business Development Specialist at Loma Systems.  

• Macy Anderson (BS 2020, MA 2022) accepted a promotion to Assistant Director of Student Development with University of Iowa Athletics.  

• Connor Bedford (BS 2020) accepted the position of Fraud Specialist at JPMorgan Chase & Co.  

• Allie Payne (BS 2020, pictured top right) accepted the position of Ticket Operations Coordinator with the Milwaukee Bucks.

• Taylor Wenger (BS 2020, MA 2022) accepted the position of Football Operations at Kansas State University. 

• Isabel Bowman (BS 2021) accepted the position of Project Manager, World Championship Events at The IRONMAN Group.  

• Morgen Kuennen (UISRM minor 2021) accepted a promotion to Marketing Manager at the Iowa Events Center.  

• Jake Manning (BS 2021, MA 2022) accepted the position of Assistant Director of Football Operations at Arkansas State University.  

• Luke Statler (BS 2021) accepted a promotion to Player Development Tech Assistant & Analyst with the Toronto Blue Jays.  

• Mark Waigand (BS 2021) accepted the position of Assistant Director of Ticket Operations and Revenue Generation at Drake University.  

• Matthew Walters (BS 2021) accepted a promotion to Director of Programming at Illinois Junior Golf Association.  

• Jayson Barnes (BS 2022) accepted a promotion to Footwear Lead with DICK’S Sporting Goods.  

• Daniel Crooks (BS 2022) accepted the position of Media Relations Intern with the Milwaukee Brewers.  

• Alex Dickey (BS 2022, MA 2023) accepted the position of Coordinator, DIII Men’s Basketball with the NCAA.  

• Cameron Fox (BS 2022) accepted the position of Talent Management Specialist with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement.  

• Jacob Heitman (BS, 2022) accepted the position of Athletic Director at Marquette Catholic High School in Bellevue, Iowa.

• Jack Scott (BS 2022, pictured above right) accepted the position of Business Development/Sales Representative with the Kansas City Chiefs.  

• Hunter Arbogast (BS 2023) accepted a promotion to Account Executive, Membership Experience with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  

• Becca Ball (BS 2023) accepted the position of Assistant Director of Communications at High Point Athletics.  

• Karlin Chavez (BS 2023) accepted the position of Security Service Ambassador with the Chicago Cubs.  

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  Amy Knoebl (BS 2023, pictured right) accepted a promotion to Account Executive, Group Sales with the Pittsburgh Penguins.  

• Burton Rodgers (BS 2023) accepted the position of Event Management Intern with Contemporary Services Corporation.  

• Mia Seidel (BS 2023) accepted a promotion to Event Coordinator with Andy Frain Services. 

• Duncan Shay (BS 2023) accepted the position of Account Executive with the Iowa Wolves.  

• Carter Shockey (BS 2023) accepted the position as the Williams Fellow with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement.

• Grant Smaellie (MA 2023) accepted the position of Event Management Fellow with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

• Jaxton Boyer (ex. BS 2024) accepted the position of Account Executive with the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

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  Sydney Clark (ex. BS 2024, pictured right) accepted the position of Financial Planning and Analysis Intern with the Miami Dolphins.  

• Michael Lois (ex. BS 2024) accepted the position of Ambassador with Monster Energy. 

• Charlie MacKimm (ex. BS 2024) accepted the position of Account Executive at Schneider.  

• Clayton McFarland (ex. BS 2024) accepted the position of Athletic Director Intern at Iowa City High School.  

• Brayden Porter (ex. BS 2024) accepted the position of Golf Tournament Operations Intern with the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour.  

• Molly Rygh (ex. MA 2024) accepted the position of Director of Operations, Soccer with University of Iowa Athletics.  

• Eric Skala (ex. BS 2024) accepted the position of New Business Consultant with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  

• Nick Watson (ex. BS 2024) accepted the position of Inside Sales Consultant with the San Jose Sharks.  

• Hannah Frazier (ex. BS 2025) accepted the position of Student Manager with University of Iowa Softball. 

Special Olympics Iowa Winter Games Practicum

Congratulations to each of the students who successfully completed the Special Olympics Iowa Winter Games practicum! This course is offered during the winter session in collaboration with the Therapeutic Recreation program and the Disability Studies Certificate, both in the Health and Human Physiology Department. 

• Sport and Recreation Management: Evan Alexandrou, Matthew Altenhofen, Max Baum, Jalen Bickett, Parker Brueck, Isabella Carter, Miles Corrigan, Brenden Deasfernandes, Joey Dunklau, Nikeil Fleming, Patrick Fornatto, Sydney George, James Glover Konfrst, Zach Goldstein, Paul Hardin-Specht, Nicholas Hartshorn, Noelle Herwig, Meike Ingles, Tyson James, Yunping Ji, Logan Jones, Emma Kay, AJ Lawson, Jacob Martin, Clayton McFarland, Ryan O’Hara, Mallory Sawyer,  Brayden Schulz, Evan Schuster, Michael Seegers, Sydney Smetzer, Macy Stevenson, Vivian Sumoski, Gavin Tichy, Kalen Walker, The Zeffster Walker-El, Ryan Wengler, Leshon Williams
• Therapeutic Recreation: Kelsey Behnke, Ally Joyce, Nick Liberatore, Molly McGhie, Dorcas Opoku, Meggie Parker, Taylor Walter, Katherine Yacopucci
• Disability Studies: Claudia Archer, Caitlin Coughlin, Kathryn Melendez, Camille Schwenneker, Ava Victor, Emily Vortherms, Ellie Witzel

Our course began with three weeks of online instruction and class meetings getting students cross-trained in all three disciplines, led by faculty members Anna Jensen, Adrienne Johnson, and Kristina Gordon. We had guest speakers from Special Olympics of Iowa and learned more about identifying and overcoming personal biases through exposure and experience. Graduate students Tessa Bartell and Kallie Williams joined the group in Dubuque, where students had a chance to attempt skiing or snowshoeing using adaptive equipment before setting up competition courses and working on the operational side of running a sporting event. Thanks to some weather challenges, students participated and some earned medals in the Special Olympics Bags Tournament as Unified Partners. With too much snow for safe skiing competitions, our group pivoted to design and lead a team snowman building competition. Course completion included observational reports and improvement recommendations in presentations to the Special Olympics of Iowa Executive Committee. 

Fans First Practicum

Congratulations to each of the students who successfully completed the Fans First practicum!

• Taylor Ciabatti, Logan Daniels, Jackson Groppel, Hunter Harrison, Ian Hornsby, Jordan Johnson, Kalil Johnson, Taylor Kruse, Marayah Pate, Sebastian Robles, Evan Schuster, Ainsley Shird, Sydney Smetzer, Aubrie Snyder, Carter Thorsen, Kalen Walker, and Jongkwan Yun

This group worked over 1,600 hours with Hawkeye Athletics. The events included Field Hockey, Football, Fry-Fest, Men’s Basketball, Wrestling, Soccer, Track and Field, Volleyball, Women’s Basketball and Swimming. Students delivered exceptional customer service through activities such as driving golf cart shuttles, setting up concession stand stanchions, answering fan questions, and providing support to the event management staff through other operational tasks.

UISRM Agency Practicum

Congratulations to each of the associates who successfully completed the UISRM Agency practicum!

• Sydney Affolter, David Chaires Meza, Jeremy Chaplin, Kevin Cunniff, Deacon Hill, Bryor Hansel, Colin Hansel, Rynzi Hernandez, Meike Ingles, Karenna Larson, Libbie Malecek, Hannah Meyer, Tori Michel, Jack O’Connor, Megan Pace, Drake Powell, Mallory Sawyer, Tory Taylor, Leshon Williams

The fall 2023 UISRM Agency class provided a mix of execution and strategy deliverables for clients in sports and recreation around the region. Event execution assistance was provided to the Iowa City Area Sports Commission with the IGHSAU Volleyball Championship, the Dan Gable Donnybrook, and the Soldier Salute. The group planned and activated a campus visit for seventh graders from the Kids on Course program from the Zach Johnson Foundation. Hundreds of sixth graders were treated to an Iowa Heartlanders game where the Agency assisted with the second annual School Day Game.  Strategy projects included a new entrance scheme for the Heartlanders, a stakeholder analysis and identification process for sight-impaired runners and their guides for Team RunFree, and several Eastern Iowa soccer market descriptions for Sporting KC.