Center for Sport Leadership at VCU is proud to announce Dr. Yong Chae Rhee has been hired as Associate Professor, joining our faculty on August 1.
A native of South Korea, Dr. Rhee brings more than 13 years of experience as a tenured associate professor in the sport management program at Washington State University. As a proud graduate of Seoul National University in South Korea, Dr. Rhee has made significant contributions to the field of sport management, both through his extensive teaching experience and his innovative research.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Rhee and his family to VCU,” said Executive Director Carrie LeCrom, Ph.D. “He is an exceptional teacher and respected researcher who believes the student experience should be paramount. He will be an outstanding addition to our team.”
"My experience in the sport management industry has shown me that the CSL is one of the most innovative sport management programs in the world.” said Dr. Rhee. “Their ingenuity is unmatched, and they constantly devise new ways to enhance student learning. As a faculty member, if you envision something that should be taught or implemented to benefit students, CSL is already doing it."
Throughout his career, Dr. Rhee has demonstrated a dedication to teaching a diverse range of sport management courses, including Sport Marketing, Sport Event Management, Visual Communication in Sport, Sport Business Analytics, and Social Issues in Sport, among others.
His research interests encompass sport consumption behavior, motivation, Esports, Name, Image, and Likeness, as well as sport analytics. In addition to his academic and professional pursuits, Dr. Rhee is passionate about social justice. He has participated in organizing human rights rallies, such as Stop AAPI Hate in 2021, and is dedicated to working with minority groups in the sport industry.
Some of his current research projects focus on important issues such as understanding AAPI representation among NCAA staff, exploring Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in non-revenue generating sports, and examining NIL with international student-athletes. Dr. Rhee's expertise in the fields of sport analytics, Esports, Name, Image, and Likeness, as well as his dedication to social justice, positions him to make a lasting impact both at the Center for Sport Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University and in the larger sport industry. Through his tireless efforts in research, teaching, and activism, Dr. Rhee is poised to make significant contributions to the field and help advance greater equity and fairness.