Dr Walker J Ross
Lecturer in Sport Management and Digital Marketing
- Moray House School of Education and Sport, ISPEHS
- University of Edinburgh
Contact details
Address
- Street
-
Moray House School of Education and Sport, SLL
University of Edinburgh (Holyrood Campus) - City
- Post code
- EH8 8AQ
Background
Originally from the United States, I teach courses in sport management at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level while maintaining an active research agenda.
My research focuses on sport ecology and sustainability with emphasis on the impact of climate change on sport, sport governance, institutional behaviors, and stakeholders. Contexts for my research have included the Olympic Games, FIFA Men’s and Women’s World Cups, and venue management. This research has been featured published in several impactful journals including Event Management, Managing Sport and Leisure, and Sport in Society, and it has also been featured in popular press articles from the Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, the Financial Times, Sky, ESPN, DW, CNN, Front Office Sports, and other reputable news outlets.
Currently, I am serving as the Director and Communications Lead for the Sport Ecology Group (SEG): a community of sport ecology academics dedicated to engagement with the sport industry and raising awareness of the sport-environment relationship. Through the SEG, I have been involved in the United Nations Environment Programme Sports for Nature Handbook, the Slippery Slopes report, and the Three Years of Progress report.
Memberships I maintain include the European Association for Sport Management, Leisure Studies Association, and the North American Society for Sport Management. Previous professional experience includes working in marketing and promotions for an NCAA Division I university, working in events and promotions in professional men’s and women’s football in the US, sportswear product testing, event consultancy, and coaching water polo.
Qualifications
PhD in Sport and Entertainment Management, University of South Carolina
Seminar in Olympic Studies, International Olympic Academy
MS in Kinesiology, University of Georgia
BA in Environmental Ethics and Policy, University of Portland
Undergraduate teaching
Sport and Communication
Postgraduate teaching
Sport Marketing and Communications
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Areas of interest for supervision
Welcoming any inquiries about PhD supervision. Please, reach out if you are interested or if I can assist in any way.
Research summary
My research explores the bidirectional relationship between sport and the natural environment: sport ecology. It focuses on anything related to sport, environment, climate, and sustainability. In the past, this has been focused on venues and mega-events like the Olympic Games and FIFA Men's and Women's World Cups, but I am open to the study of this topic in any context. Theoretical perspectives I have utilized include management and governance theories like: institutional theory, stakeholder theory, and resource-based view of the firm. My research methods are always driven by the nature of the question which has led me to employ a variety of qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
Current research interests
Sport ecology, climate change, Triple Planetary Crisis, Olympic Games, World Cups, environmental justice, as well as space utilization and land developmentAffiliated research centres
Conference details
Ross, W. J., Jakar, G., & Uzun, B. (2024, September). Environmental threats to sport infrastructure: The case of waterfront sport venues. Paper to be presented at the meeting of EASM 2024 Conference, Paris, France.
Ross, W. J., Watanabe, N. M., Orr, M., Trendafilova, S., Kellison, T., Pelcher, J., Howell, J. P., & Rouhas, Z. (2024, September). Climate risks in Formula 1: “Drive to survive?” Paper to be presented at the meeting of EASM 2024 Conference, Paris, France.
Lewellyn, K., Ross, W. J., & Prokuski, M. (2024, August). Value creation on a level playing field? A configurational analysis of gender differences. Paper presented at the meeting of the Academy of Management 2024, Chicago, IL, USA.
Ross, W. J. (2024, July). Sport participation density: Understanding of the relationship of sport to space. Paper presented at the meeting of Leisure Studies Association 2024, Paisley, UK.
Murfree, J. R., & Ross, W. J. (2023, September). The prioritization of climate action for supporter-owned football clubs in Ireland: a Delphi case study. Paper presented at the meeting of EASM 2023 Conference, Belfast, UK.
Ross, W. J., Pfahl, M., & Trendafilova, S. (2023, September). Racing with a purpose: Sustainability in Formula E. Paper presented at the meeting of EASM 2023 Conference, Belfast, UK.
Fisackerly, W., & Ross, W. J. (2023, June). Esports ecology: A preliminary conceptual analysis. Paper presented at the meeting of NASSM 2023 Conference, Montreal, Canada.
Invited speaker
Ross, W. J. (2024, July). Sport and climate change: What can we expect? Speaker invited by FIFPRO Europe x FIFPRO Player IQ x UEFA Euro 2024 as part of the Common Goal Football for Sustainability Summit, Berlin, Germany.
Ross, W. J. & Orr, M. (2023, October). Managing and getting ahead of climate risks. Speaker invited by Sport Positive Summit, London, UK.
Ross, W. J. et al. (2023, April). 7th Commonwealth debate on sport and sustainable development. Panelist invited by the Commonwealth Secretariat, London, UK.
Rogers, J., Ross, W. J., & Bradshaw, P. (2023, February). Climate change and football. Panelist invited by the City Football Leadership Institute, Virtual.
Ross, W. J. & Robertson, M. (2022, December). The debrief: The World Cup of controversy: Mega-events: The ethical, environmental and social cost. Panelist invited by the Law Society of Scotland, Virtual.