Tell us about your contribution that has been recognised through the associate professorship.

I was able to demonstrate an outstanding contribution in External and Professional Engagement (E&PE) and Academic Citizenship and Leadership (AC&L), along with a significant contribution in Teaching and Learning (T&L).

What does it mean personally to you to be an associate professor at Sheffield Hallam?

It is an important academic accolade, which reflects years of dedication, commitment, and excellence in one’s discipline. It recognises that my personal values, ideals, and behaviours not only align to the values and strategic objectives of the University, but also produce evidence of outstanding contribution and development of such values and objectives.

Tell us a bit about your career story so far.

I have 25 years of teaching experience in higher education in the UK, China and the USA. I have developed several courses and modules on clinical sports law and legal skills. I am also a practising attorney at law, in independent practice, having, previously, run successfully the sports law department of an international law firm. I currently practice before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, on sports law matters.

If you could go back in time and give yourself some career advice, what would it be?

Love your academic discipline and commit to it. As Aristotle wrote, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

What’s next? Tell us about how you want to further develop your contribution.

I plan to create a community of practice for our LLM students, with an invitation to be extended to students in the Business School and to students in Sport Policy and Development. This collegiate proposal will create the Hallam Sports Law Centre (HSLC) with an aim to offer research, consultancy and innovation to the region, the country, and the world, and to advance theoretical knowledge in the discipline of sports law. I am in discussions with several stakeholders from around the world for the funding of the centre.