Feb. 24, 2005

LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell department of athletics and recreation sponsored a continuing education workshop for administrators, coaches and student-athletes about the dangers of hazing amongst athletic teams. Dr. Brian Crow, associate professor of sport management at Slippery Rock University, led the program that took place in Walls Lounge within the Langone Center Tuesday evening.

Dr. Brian Crow addresses Bucknell head and assistant coaches during the workshop.

Richard Ferraro, dean of students, and Gerry Commerford, associate dean of students, were also able to join the members of the athletic department at the workshop which featured three different sessions. The first session was a gathering of athletic department administrators, along with Ferraro and Commerford. The second session featured a more formal setting for the head and assistant coaches of Bucknell's 26 varsity sports. To round out the successful evening, more than 500 of Bucknell's student-athletes interacted with Crow who presented on the dangers of hazing.

"We were very fortunate to have Dr. Crow join us to continue our educational efforts in this very important area," commented Bucknell Director of Athletics and Recreation John Hardt. "We look forward to ongoing and follow-up conversations amongst our sports programs throughout this and future academic years."

"I am happy that someone with Dr. Crow's experience was able to come to campus and meet with our student-athletes and staff," said Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Women's Administrator Amanda Backus. "His presentation was very informative and we received positive feedback from administrators, coaches and student-athletes on the program."

Crow, who is in his fourth year teaching sport marketing and sport communications at the undergraduate level, and sport marketing and sport budget and finance in the graduate program at Slippery Rock, is presently the president-elect for the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). He is a co-author of two textbooks, "Foundations of Sport Management" (with Andy Gillentine) and "Profiles of Sport Industry Professionals: The People Who Make the Games Happen" (with Matthew Robinson, Dennis Phillips and Mary Hums). He is also the author or co-author of three textbook chapters and two law review articles on hazing in athletics. He has made more than 45 international, national and regional presentations of his research.

"Bucknell is one of the better places I have visited in terms of being proactive against hazing among its athletic teams," mentioned Crow several times throughout the workshops.

Crow was the second formal speaker the Bucknell department of athletics and recreation has invited to campus to teach about the dangers of hazing in recent years. In 2001, an athletics administrator involved in a hazing incident at the University of Vermont spoke to members of the athletic department as well.