Executive Director of Esports
Professor of Practice
Esports Communications and ManagementOrganizational Unit
- Esports Communications and Management
- Department of Sport Management
- S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Location
MacNaughton Hall, #300KSyracuse, NY 13244
Biography
Joey Gawrysiak (he/him/his) joined the Falk College and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in Fall 2023 as the executive director of esports and as an associate professor. He teaches classes in esports.Prior to joining Syracuse University, Gawrysiak was a professor and director of esports at Shenandoah University from 2011-2023, overseeing all aspects of esports on campus and teaching a variety of classes in esports and sport management. Prior to Shenandoah University, he served as a teaching assistant at the University of Georgia from 2010-2012 teaching sport management courses.
Gawrysiak’s research focuses on the integration of esports into institutions of higher education and scholastic esports. He has contributed edited chapters in books, including “E-sport: Video Games as Sport,” which appeared in Defining Sport: Conceptions and Borderlines.
In 2019, Gawrysiak co-founded Esports Development and Growth Enterprise (EDGE) with two partners to consult professional and academic entities on a variety of esports implementation strategies. He served as the chair of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and as a member of the Board of Advisors for the North American Scholastic Esports Federation and the Mid-Atlantic Esports Conference, while also being named the NACE Program Director of the Year in 2021 and NACE Hero in 2022.
In addition, under his leadership, the Shenandoah esports program won the 2023 CSMG award for Esports Program Impact of the Year and the 2023 NACE National Event of the Year for their “Boost on the Beach” event in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Education
- Ph.D., University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- M.Ed., University of Georgia, Athens, GA, . Major: Physical Education and Sport Studies Area of Emphasis: Sport Management
- B.S.Ed., University of Georgia, Athens, GA, . Major: Sport Studies Area of Emphasis: Communication
Teaching
Currently Teaching
- IDE 880 - Adv Seminar/Sel Top - SPM 300: Intro to Esports
- SCN 169 - Intro to Bus & Eco of Esports
- SPM 454 - Esports Business Practicum
- SPM 490 - Independent Study
- SPM 342 - The Business of Esports
- SPM 354 - Esports and Event Management
- SPM 200 - Selected Topics in Sport Management - Principles of E Sports
Presentations
- Edward Gawrysiak [Lecture]. Presented at Esport and Gaming Summit, 2019-03-01.
- Edward GawrysiakS E JennyD WilliamseSports education: How sport management programs can effectively teach students to enter the field [Paper]. Presented at meeting of the College Sport Research Institute, Columbia, SC, 2018-04-01.
- J LowryM NguyenM HenryB GouldEdward GawrysiakF PoliteThe Paradox of Experiential Learning: The D-III Model Works [Poster]. Presented at Meeting of the College Sport Research Institute, Columbia, SC, 2018-04-01.
- Edward GawrysiakE EvansEsport and education: Where the future begins [Paper]. Presented at meeting of the Music and Gaming Educational Symposium, Alexandria, VA, 2018-01-01.
- Edward GawrysiakB WigleyThe next big thing(s) in esports [Paper]. Presented at meeting of the Music and Gaming Educational Symposium, Alexandria, VA, 2018-01-01.
- R BurtonEdward GawrysiakUsing esports to efficiently enhance and extend brand perceptions [Paper]. Presented at meeting of the Sport Marketing Association, Boston, MA, 2017-11-01.
- Edward GawrysiakD BierwischB LeeR MahmudO SurplessWhat's up with esports: Should we LoL at Lol? [Paper]. Presented at meeting of the Music and Gaming Educational Symposium- Classic, Alexandria, VA, 2017-01-01.
- Edward GawrysiakNot just a game anymore: How esports and take over the world [Paper]. Presented at meeting of the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand, 2016-11-01.
- Edward GawrysiakNavigating the union of sports, business, and the law [Lecture]. Presented at Sport Law & Entrepreneurship Conference, 2016-09-01.
- K BaileyC EdsallEdward GawrysiakF PoliteEducation of student-athletes through global exploration: Narratives on experiential learning [Poster]. Presented at Meeting of the College Sport Research Institute, Columbia, SC, 2016-04-01.
Active Service
Professional Service
- Board of Advisors, North American Scholastic Esports Federation, Competition Committee member (active since: 2020)
- Board of Directors, The National Association of Collegiate Esports, Executive Committee member (active since: 2020)
Honors, Awards, and Recognition
- Program Director of the Year, NACE
- Undergraduate Team Advisor, CSRI
- Outstanding Faculty Advisor, Sport Business Club
- Outstanding Faculty Member, Buzzy
- Faculty Member of the Year, Shenandoah University (received: 2014)
- Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
Memberships
- North American Society for Sport Management
- North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS)
Licensures and Certifications
- Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative. Reference ID: 1353489
- Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies Graduate Certificate
Recent Media Mentions:
- The Checkpoint podcastSeptember 2016)
- Press Start radio show (16 September 2016)
- Are video games a sport? (6 November 2014)
- 95.3 The River Radio ShowMarch 2014)
Organizational Unit
- Esports Communications and Management
- Department of Sport Management
- S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Location
MacNaughton Hall, #300KSyracuse, NY 13244