JAMES ZHANG, P.E.D.
Professor
PostDoc Study in measurement/sport administration, University of Houston (1994)
PED in physical education, Springfield College (1993)
M.S. in education, Springfield College (1988)
B.S. in education, Tianjin Institute of Physical Education, China (1984)
Curriculum Vitae

Biography:
James J. Zhang, P.E.D., is a professor in the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management at the University of Florida. Prior to coming to The Gator Nation, Zhang was a faculty member at the University of Houston, Texas between 1994-2001 and worked as an evaluator for the After School Achievement Program (ASAP) in Houston between 1997-2001. Since 2003, he has been serving as the principal investigator and the executive director of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Leadership Project that is funded by the United States Department of Education through the Florida Department of Education.

Zhang has published extensively in all related sport management journals that currently exist in North America and made presentations at all major conferences in the field. He is widely regarded as one of the leading scholars in the area of sport marketing. His work has significantly contributed to theory development and also provided useful guidelines to practitioners. His publications have been cited frequently in research papers and requested for reprints by scholars worldwide. His academic background in sport consumer and organizational behavior studies, research design, and statistical analyses have provided him with the credentials to obtain numerous research grants, contracts, and consulting activities from various sport and non-sport organizations. For instance, the 21st CCLC Leadership Project funded by the Florida Department of Education began in 2003, with a total funding of approximately $7.5 million (as of 2008). In particular, this funded project is consistent with the UF research strategic plan on family and children.

Zhang has provided extensive leadership and services to professional organizations such as the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), Research Consortium and the Measurement and Evaluation Council, and the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). He is the recipient of a number of prestigious awards, such as University of Florida Research Foundation Professorship Award, AAHPERD Southern District Scholar, Research Fellow of the Research Consortium, and Research Fellow of NASSM.

Research Interests:

• • Applied measurement and applied studies examining sport consumer and organizational behaviors
• • Sport leadership with a focus on formal and informal leadership associated with athletics program management

Classes:
SPM 2000 Introduction to Sport Management
SPM 4154 Administrative Principles of Sport and Exercise Programs
SPM 5305 Sport Marketing
SPM 6158 Management and Leadership in Sport
PET 6498 Research Seminar in Sport Management
HLP 6535 Research Method