UofSC faculty experts list on the Winter Olympics



South Korea will host the XXIII Winter Olympic Games Feb. 9-25. To help journalists report on the Pyeongchang games, the University of South Carolina has compiled a list of faculty experts. To arrange an interview, contact the staff member listed with the entry.

Korean culture and tourism

Haemoon Oh, dean of the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management and a native of South Korea, can offer perspective on the host country. Oh’s research interests include marketing measurement, customer experience and perceptions.

News contact: Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu; 803-777-5667.

Legal and business Issues

 John Grady, associate professor and sport and entertainment undergraduate director in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, is available to discuss legal and business issues surrounding the games, notably ambush marketing and the controversial Rule 40 that restricts how Olympic athletes can be used in sponsorships. He also can discuss the increasing role of social media and streaming the games’ content, as well as how Olympic audiences have shifted to online and TV viewing over on-site attendance.

News contact: Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu; 803-777-5667.

Sleeping your way to the gold

American athletes traveling to the 2018 Winter Olympics will cross up to 12 time zones, so it’s normal some will suffer jet lag. Disruption of the circadian rhythm, a human’s internal clock, can cause symptoms that range from daytime sleepiness to depression ­– not ideal conditions for world-class athletes. Jim Burch, associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Arnold School of Public Health, has studied how circadian rhythms affect people who travel across time zones. Burch also can discuss the importance of maintaining a regular sleep pattern.

News contact: John Brunelli, brunelli@mailbox.sc.edu; 803-777-3697.

History and politics

Brian Mihalik, professor in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, has been examining the Olympic Games since the IOC announced in 1989 that the 1996 Summer Games would be held in Atlanta. His research includes a wide range of topics from Olympic history to political issues surrounding the Games. He recently taught a class on Winter Olympics marketing at Beijing Sport University in China.

News contact: Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu; 803-777-5667.

Team colors

Mark Rosenbaum, chair of the Department of Retailing in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, has conducted extensive research on the consumer appeal of sporting event apparel.

News contact: Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu; 803-777-5667.

Follow the money

Mark Nagel, professor in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, is an expert on sport finance and revenue development, facility management and management practices of sport organizations. He can offer insights on the financial ramifications of hosting the Olympics.

News contact: Allen Wallace, awallace@sc.edu; 803-777-5667.


Share this Story! Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about