After working in the Sport Business Industry for over 20 years, Diane Crossey decided to join Rice University’s Department of Sport Management as a lecturer.
In 1995, Crossey began working as the Director of the Premium Club and Guest Services under Delaware North Companies at the TD Garden, previously known as The Fleet Center. Following her seven years in Boston, she decided to start a new position as the Senior Director of Event Operations and Guest Services with the Houston Texans, a franchise just starting up at the time.
“The President of the Texans knew a friend of mine, and he called me saying that they were staffing up in Houston,” Crossey said. “I was ready for the change, and the opportunity to open a stadium and launch a team just doesn’t come around that often.”
A little-known fact about Crossey is that she is not a stranger to Rice. In 1993, as part of her Sport Studies Master of Science program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, she worked an internship in the Academic Advising offices in the Department of Athletics. In addition to her M.S. degree, Crossey also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the UMass, where she competed as a nationally-ranked athlete while serving as the captain of the women’s track and field team.
Crossey returned to Rice last semester when she worked alongside Dr. Jason Sosa to teach the Event Management & Customer Service class (SMGT 366). With her extensive background in event operations and customer service and with a vacancy left by Sosa when he accepted a position with the Harris County Public Defender’s Office, Department Chair Dr. Clark Haptonstall offered Crossey a position in June.
“I am so happy that Diane joined our faculty because she has such a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Haptonstall said. “After working in the Sport Industry for 20 years, she has transitioned seamlessly into becoming a professor. Diane has great enthusiasm in the classroom and the students respect her.”
During the current semester, in addition to her SMGT 366 class, Crossey is also teaching Introduction to Sport Management (SMGT 260).
“The opportunity to work at Rice, to work in Sport Management, and to teach Event Management is exciting for me,” Crossey said. “I started examining what motivates me every day, and honestly, it’s serving people. Then I started thinking, if I’m motivated by service, what better way than to try to teach and try to help students understand the industry and what they want to do in the industry.”
In hopes of giving the students more hands-on experience, Crossey has modified the curriculum of SMGT 366. One of her students in this class, Meyrav Levy ’17, has noticed a difference in the classroom.
“She’s teaching us how to plan an event, step by step, with real applications and guest speakers,” Levy said. “I definitely think Professor Crossey brings a unique insider perspective to the department.”
Kristie Yit, a senior from Houston, Texas, is double-majoring in Sport Management and also Managerial Studies. She is also minoring in Business.