Please join President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., in welcoming Kelly Evans, Ph.D., assistant professor of Sport Management, as the 2024 Presidential Faculty Fellow. Evans is the fourth faculty member to hold the role at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
“We are excited to bring a new faculty perspective into the President’s Office as we tackle issues like workload this year,” said Davidson. “Dr. Evans brings a strategic and thoughtful voice for faculty. We are already learning and benefiting from her perspective.”
The Presidential Faculty Fellows Program was established in 2021 as a professional-development opportunity that allows Category II, tenured and tenure-track faculty members to learn firsthand about presidential-level operations, leadership and decision-making. With a focus on shared governance, the program allows Fellows to contribute to and support strategy and decision-making related to University operations, budget, special projects, legislative and external affairs, fundraising, communications and more.
While in her new role, Evans says, she hopes to “thoughtfully and positively contribute to MSU Denver’s culture,” something that drew her to the University in the first place.
“I firmly believe in MSU Denver’s mission, and I am honored to work at a university that encourages community, access, diversity, respect and excellence (CADRE values),” Evans said. “My experiences working in sport and as a faculty member bring a unique perspective to the table, and I hope to contribute in a meaningful way that speaks to student and employee success.”
One of Evans’ main goals as the Presidential Faculty Fellow is to become more familiar with all of MSU Denver’s resources, events, organizations, etc. She hopes to bring these retention tools and resources back into classrooms to encourage a stronger student community.
More about Evans
Evans joined MSU Denver in 2019 as an assistant professor after spending eight years in various sports-management positions, including general manager of the Lexington County Blowfish (Coastal Plain League baseball) for two years after starting with the organization as an intern. She also earned her doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Sport Management and Sport Marketing from the University of South Carolina in 2019, 2014 and 2010, respectively.
“I wanted to combine my love of sports, love of teaching and desire to move west,” Evans said. “So when a Sport Management faculty position at MSU Denver was available, I knew I had to apply.”
While at MSU Denver, Evans has taught a variety of courses, including Sport Promotion/Marketing, Sport Enterprise/Finance, Technology and Social Media and Sport and Intro to Sport Management. She has served as the parliamentarian of the Faculty Senate since spring 2020 and is also vital in planning the yearly Women in Sport panel held on campus each year to commemorate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. She also frequently contributes to RED as an expert in sports marketing.
When not watching her beloved Gamecocks women’s basketball team, led by one of Evans’ role models, Dawn Staley, she loves to explore all that Denver has to offer with her husband, Jason. She enjoys craft beer, hiking, camping, concerts, comedy and, last but certainly not least, sports.