alumni.htm

Maribel Castillo became the first female and Hispanic General Manager in Rayz franchise history in January of 2007. The 2007-2008 season will be her first complete season at the helm of the Rayz. Castillo is the second-youngest GM in the 18-team league.
Despite her age, the 29-year old Castillo has already amassed a wide variety of sports management roles in her career. The New Mexico native began working with the CHL’s New Mexico Scorpions in 2002, and maintained a role with the organization through this year. In March of 2006, she took a position as the Production Manager of the all-new Santa Ana Center – the new home of the CHL’s New Mexico Scorpions. Prior to that, Castillo worked for the Scorpions in a variety of positions. Castillo served in ticket sales, as a Box Office Manager, Corporate Business Manager and Assistant General Manager. This role with the Rayz is her first as a General Manager.
Castillo was born in Dexter, New Mexico and has strong ties to that area. In addition to the Scorpions and Santa Ana Center, Castillo also held a brief position with the AAA Baseball team, the Albuquerque Isotopes. She has received a Bachelor’s Degree as well as a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration from the University of New Mexico. Castillo currently resides in Corpus Christi.

Cliff is an Assistant Professor at The University of Southern Mississippi and Coordinator of the Sport Coaching Education program. The program currently has 247 undergraduate majors. Cliff is also writing curriculum for a Masters degree in Sport Coaching and is primarily teaching sport law and sport marketing. Completing his doctorate in 2002, he taught for a year at S.W. Texas State University before moving on to Southern Miss.

David LaVetter, Ph.D.

Dr. David LaVetter is currently Assistant Professor in the Sport Management program at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. David also serves as the program Director within the Department of Health, PE, and Sport Sciences. He completed his Ph.D. during Summer 2004 and began employment at Arkansas State U. beginning Fall 2004. He and his wife, Gretchen, have three daughters, Lissette (7), Tyrza (3), and Sadie (1).

"UNM's Sport Administration program has all the tools that best prepared me for my career in teaching. The Sport Admin faculty are a class act; they are sincerely interested in the success of their students. Collectively, they also do a great job in running one of the best graduate Sport Administration programs in the country."

Lynn Fielitz, Ph.D.

Dr. Lynn Fielitz is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Education at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. Dr. Fielitz is teaching in the undergraduate physical education program and is the Information Management Officer in charge of the computer, network and information systems for approximately 80 users within the department. He has also written several articles and presentations on data mining, using the internet for athletic recruiting and student perceptions of the physical education curriculum. He has also written chapters in several volleyball coaching books and the USMA’s book on the physical education program. During his tenure at the USMA, he served as the Head Women’s Volleyball Coach and was selected as the 1998 Patriot League Coach of the Year and received the 2000 Apgar Award for Excellence in Teaching at the Academy. He is currently researching various methods to apply data mining to physical education and sport management issues with Dr. David Scott, UNM associate professor.

Seok-Ho Song, Ph.D.

A native of South Korea, Dr. Seok-Ho Song earned his doctoral degree at the University of New Mexico in 2002. Upon graduation, Dr. Song joined the Sports Administration program at St. Thomas University in Miami, FL. He brought to the program a wealth of knowledge in such subjects as sports market research, leadership and facility management, which he had mastered as a doctoral student at the University of New Mexico.
Since his arrival at St. Thomas, Dr. Song has made a name for himself as the leading authority in market research within the local sporting community. Dolphins Stadium (The Home of Miami Dolphins & Florida Marlins), The Miami Heat, the Ford Championship at Doral (PGA) and The Florida Marlins have benefited from the event and facility specific market research that Dr. Song has conducted. Dr. Song’s research has reaped great benefits not only for his clients, but also for his sports administration students at St. Thomas University. He offers students a real life perspective that few other professors in the nation can provide, and combines this with the opportunity to become active participants in his market research projects.
Much like his current students, Dr. Song is a product of his professors at the University of New Mexico. His professors showed Dr. Song their commitment to academic achievement through the rigorous course work that they assigned him. Though his current career as a professor is much different than his experience as a student at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Song enjoyed his time in the Southwest and is very proud to be an alumnus of one of the best programs in the field of Sports Administration.
A world away from South Korea or New Mexico, Dr. Song has embraced the South Florida culture where sporting events and activities are king. This allows him to continue to grow his market research consulting business, while maintaining a classroom that fosters an energetic environment in which motivated students emulate his impeccable work ethic.