Dr. Keary Rouff said earning his doctoral degree from the United States Sports Academy helped him to see how sport is a global force and ultimately led to his current work in the higher education world.
Rouff was recently hired as the program director for sport management and an assistant professor in the business department at Alfred State College in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. He earned his Doctor of Education degree in Sports Management from the Academy in 2007.
“The Academy gave me the opportunity to get out of my regional perspective,” Rouff said. “I grew up in the Pittsburgh (Pa.) area and earned my bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford and master’s degree at Duquesne, which is also in Pittsburgh. So the Academy really showed me a fresh, global view of sport.
“I was fortunate to be able to meet people from all over the world during my time at the Academy. I met students from Bahrain and networked with people from all over the world. It was a truly great learning experience to be able to interact with so many people who were different than me, but also who were interested in sport.”
Prior to joining the Alfred State staff, Rouff spent time teaching at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford, during which time he earned his Academy doctoral degree.
“The Academy was flexible enough to allow me to work while I pursued my degree,” Rouff said. “That was a huge benefit.”
“I am all about people,” Rouff said. “Without people, we wouldn’t have sports. The Academy helped me understand that a big part of sport management is getting to know people so that you can make a positive impact on their lives through sport.”
