Christina Wright Mehlon named assistant director of Industry and Alumni Engagement in the AECOM Center for Sports Administration

The Ohio University AECOM Center for Sports Administration announced that standout faculty member and dual degree program alumna Christina Wright Mehlon (MBA/MSA ’10) will lead industry and alumni engagement for undergraduate programs for the center effective Aug. 15, 2022.

Wright Mehlon joined the Department of Sports Administration faculty full time in August 2017 and has established a record of success in numerous roles. She has earned multiple Ohio University, College of Business, and Industry awards, and has served the University and its students with great efficiency and the utmost care since her arrival. This past spring, Wright Mehlon was named the inaugural recipient for the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) Hall of Fame Master Inclusion Leader Award and was a finalist for the Ohio University Provost Award for Excellence in Teaching.

In her new role, Wright Mehlon will focus on industry outreach that include the annual Darren Butler Sports Business Forum for our sports management undergraduate students that provides sports and entertainment practicum, internship and job opportunities, as well as an undergraduate case cup competition. Additional AECOM CSA duties will include assisting in undergraduate sports employer relations, alumni advancement, events, and experiential learning opportunities and partnerships.

“Christina will be an incredibly valuable addition to our AECOM CSA team as she brings deep institutional knowledge, extensive and authentic alumni relationships, and a high level of organizational efficiency to her new role,” AECOM Center for Sports Administration Executive Director Matt Cacciato said. “Christina’s abilities also include certifications and consulting success with diversity, equity, and inclusion, student career coaching, DiSC behavioral assessments, and extensive experience as a seasoned practitioner at the highest level of sports event operations including the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, Kentucky Derby, Indy 500, and the CrossFit Games.”

Wright Mehlon is an associate professor of instruction, Department of Sports Administration career coach, COSMA director and assessment coordinator for undergraduate programs, and multicultural faculty-in-residence in the College of Business at Ohio University. As a scholar practitioner, she teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate sports business courses including facilities and events, diversity and inclusion, governance and public policy and capstone, both in person and online. She leads a variety of experiential learning opportunities working events in the sports and entertainment industry, as well as co-leads a new interdisciplinary undergraduate certificate program in Festivals, Events and Entertainment Management. Wright Mehlon is an established national voice in sport diversity and inclusion having led more than 100 webinars, workshops, conference sessions, executive trainings and coaching, as an invited speaker and facilitator.
   
She currently serves on the National Sports Forum (NSF) Steering Committee, the Ohio University Sports Administration and Facility Management (SAFM) Alumni Advisory Board and is chair emeritus for the NSF’s Business of Diversity in Sports and Entertainment (BDSE) committee. In 2020, Wright Mehlon was appointed to the College Emojis, Inc. Advisory Board and serves as an alumna representative on the Patriot League’s Anti-Racism Commission.
   
She returned to her alma mater after spending six years at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). At the NCAA, she served as the resident “career coach,” responsible for training and development of the national office staff, staff engagement, internal communications, and performance management. In previous roles at the NCAA, she has also served as program and grants administrator, oversaw community and youth initiatives for the men’s and women’s Final Four and College World Series, and was responsible for several initiatives related to educational program evaluation and metrics. In January 2012, she became adjunct faculty in the Department of Sports Administration at OHIO, teaching courses in the online Professional Master of Sports Administration (PMSA) program.
   
Completing the MBA/MSA dual degree program at OHIO in 2010, Wright Mehlon was the creative services graduate assistant for the AECOM Center for Sports Administration. In 2009, she served as an event management intern at The Ohio State University. Prior to enrolling at OHIO, she was a part of the NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program in diversity and inclusion. She received her Bachelor of Arts in public communication from American University in Washington, D.C. A four-year letter winner and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative of the women’s indoor and outdoor track team, Wright Mehlon finished her throwing career as the school record holder in the indoor and outdoor shot-put, and second on the all-time best list for discus.

Some of Wright Mehlon’s awards and accomplishments include:

• The 2022 Ohio University Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Finalist;
• 2022 COSMA Hall of Fame:
• Master Inclusion Leader Award;
• 2021 Ohio University College of Business Recognition of Outstanding Teaching;
• 2021 Mid-American Conference Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success Nomination;
• 2020 Ohio University College of Business Faculty Excellence in Professional Activity and Service Award;
• and the 2020 Ohio University Women’s Center Hidden Gem Award.