
About us

Scott N. Brooks, PhD
Director
Dr. Scott N. Brooks is Director of the Global Sport Institute and oversees all of its activities. Dr. Brooks is also an Associate Professor with the T. Denny Sanford School of Social & Family Dynamics at the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at ASU. Previously, as Director of Research for the Institute he acted as campus liaison, assisted in the allocation of research grants, and coordinated the Institute's research agenda and projects. He also served two years as interim School Director for the Sanford School. Prior to arriving at ASU, Dr. Brooks served as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs at the Graduate School of Education at the University of California-Riverside, and was an associate professor at UCR and the University of Missouri.
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Jeff Kunowski
Associate Director, Sports Innovation and Business Development
Jeff Kunowski is the Associate Director of Sports Innovation and Business Development for the Global Sport Institute. Jeff oversees the Global Sport Institute’s sport-related development and funding programs including the Global Sport Venture Development Program and the Global Sport Social Impact Challenge. He serves this role in a dual appointment with Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute.
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He also serves as an advisor for numerous start-ups and is a member of the ASU W.P. Carey Sports Business Advisory Board. In addition to his role with the Global Sport Institute, Jeff was recently brought on by Leyard/Planar, a world leader in digital display technologies, to manage business development in the sports and entertainment markets. Prior to joining Leyard/Planar, Jeff held several positions with Panasonic Corporation of North America focused on sports venue technology. He joined Panasonic after reaching an aqua-hire deal with MK Solutions Group, a Scottsdale based consulting firm that he co-founded. Jeff got his start in the sports business space in 2010 when he founded Illumin8 Outdoor Media, an award-winning signage company based in Phoenix, AZ.

Casey Sechler, PhD
Associate Director, Research
Casey Sechler is the Associate Director, Research for the Global Sport Institute where she advances the Institute’s research initiatives. This involves providing key support to the Director of Research to develop, execute, and manage strategic plans for research projects and assists in the allocation of internal and external research grants. As a scholar, Sechler conducts and applies research that promotes positive development (with particular emphasis on youth); social and emotional learning; and advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
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Kendall Jones
Manager, Strategic Initiative
Kendall Jones is the Strategic Initiative Manager for the Global Sport Institute. Prior to her position with the Global Sport Institute, she served six years as the Community Outreach Manager at Local First Arizona, an organization building a strong local economy and celebrating vibrant, inclusive communities across the state.
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Ra Lofton
Project Coordinator
Ra has their Masters in International Cooperation and Development from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Their focus is in Sport for Development. Prior to moving to Italy for their Masters, they graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in Gender Studies.
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Brendon Kleen
Senior Coordinator, Digital Content
Brendon Kleen is the Senior Coordinator of Digital Content for the Global Sport Institute. Prior to joining the Global Sport Institute team, Brendon worked as a freelance sports reporter specializing in men’s and women’s basketball at outlets like Forbes, Front Office Sports and Ozy.
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William C. Rhoden
Visiting Senior Practitioner
William C. Rhoden works directly with Kenneth L. Shropshire, CEO of the Global Sport Institute, to provide feedback on the institute’s strategic direction and develop concepts for the Global Sport Matters content hub. He is the institute’s first visiting senior practitioner.
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Rhoden is also a columnist and Editor-at-Large for The Undefeated, ESPN’s news site about sports, race, and culture. He is the curator of the Rhoden Fellows and is also the author of several books, including 40 Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. Before joining The Undefeated, Rhoden wrote an award-winning sports column for the New York Times and appeared as a guest on ESPN’s Sports Reporters for nearly 30 years. Rhoden began his journalism career as a news reporter at the Baltimore Afro American Newspaper. He was a senior editor with Ebony Magazine and then a columnist and jazz critic for the Baltimore Sun. Rhoden attended Morgan State University in Baltimore where he majored in English.

Aidan Corrales
Marketing and Communications AssistantAidan is a Marketing and Communications Assistant at Global Sport Institute. He is an Arizona native and is in his third year pursuing a degree in Sports Business with expected graduation in the Fall of 2022.

Robert W. Turner II, PhD
Global Sport Visiting Scholar
As a visiting fellow, Robert W. Turner II helps leadership identify potential topics of research, conducts research with the Global Sport Lab, and contributes to Global Sport Matters and Institute events.
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