Press Releases

For Immediate Release
January 25, 2010

For more information, contact
Nicholas Mascari
(585) 395-2754
nmascari@brockport.edu

The College at Brockport
2010 Winter Olympics
Media Team

Experts on Luge, Fan Behavior, Doping, History of Olympic Sport

Brockport, NY – The College at Brockport 2010 Winter Olympic Games Media Team includes faculty experts on Olympic competition who will be available for comment during the upcoming Winter Olympic Games, February 12–28.

Wanda Wakefield, PhD, associate professor of history at The College at Brockport, State University of New York, is an internationally licensed official for the sport of luge and an expert on the history of the sledding sport.

Although she will not be in Vancouver for this year’s Winter Olympic Games, Wakefield did work as Chief of Control* for luge at the 2002 Olympics; most recently, she was Chief of Control for the 2009 Luge World Championships, where Erin Hamlin, from Remson, New York, became the first female luge World Champion from the United States.

Wakefield has made multiple TV and radio appearances discussing luge and other sports. Wakefield, a sport historian, also is a leading academic expert on the history of NASCAR. Hear her comments on Jimmy Johnson’s “four-peat” on the ESPN.
Phone: (585) 395-5696 (office); (585) 409-1504 (cell).
E-Mail: wwakefie@brockport.edu

*The Chief of Control checking several parameters at the end of each slider's run such as sled length, width, weight. Also, because leaner athletes are allowed to carry extra weight during their races, the Chief of Control supervises their pre-race weigh-ins, calculates additional weight allowed, and then conducts random weight checks.

Cesar Torres, PhD, associate professor of kinesiology, sport studies, and physical education is an expert in the area of the history of the modern Olympics. He also has researched and written about the host city selection process and the Olympic movement in Latin America. He also attended the International Olympic Academy as part of his post-graduate education.
Phone: 585-395-5339 (office) 585-343-1498 (home)
E-Mail: crtorres@brockport.edu

Merrill Melnick, PhD, professor of kinesiology, sport studies, and physical education, has done extensive research in the area of fan/spectator behavior and the social psychology of sport. He is the co-editor of Contemporary Issues in Sociology of Sport (2001); and co-author of Sport Fans: The Psychology and Social Impact of Spectators (2001). He also is author and/or co-author of 100+ publications in physical education, sociology of sport, and social psychology of sport.
Phone: (585) 637-4501 (home) (585) 395-2374 (office)
E-Mail: mmelnick@brockport.edu

Craig Mattern, PhD, assistant professor, kinesiology, sport studies, and physical education Exercise Physiology, can address issues surrounding performance-enhancing drug use and detection. He is an expert in the area of exercise physiology. He is a member of the American Physiological Society and the American College of Sports Medicine.
Phone: (585) 278-3406 (cell)
E-Mail: cmattern@brockport.edu

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The College at Brockport, State University of New York
350 New Campus Drive * Brockport, New York 14420-2931
(585) 395-2754 * FAX (585) 395-2723 * www.brockport.edu