Understanding Esports: An Introduction to the Global Phenomenon

Kelly L. Adams is currently a doctoral student at the University of Missouri. She studies mediated communication, specifically the interplay between media use and social relationships. Her research includes exploring the representation of diversity, gender, and romantic relationships in media. Recently, her work includes exploring the parasocial relationship process, the effects of media representations on romantic relationships, and representations in superhero films and television shows. She has also recently explored perceptions and attitudes people have toward female sports broadcasters.

Andrew C. Billings (Ph.D., Indiana University, 1999) is the Ronald Reagan Chair of Broadcasting and Executive Director of the Alabama Program in Sports Communication at the University of Alabama. He has published 18 books and over 180 journal articles/book chapters, the majority of which focus on the nexus of sport and media consumption.

Nicholas David Bowman (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is associate professor of journalism and creative media industries in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University. His work considers the intersection of communication technology and human interaction, and the manner in which mediated communication places a cognitive, emotional, physical, and social demands on users. He has authored or co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 50 book chapters related to these issues. He is the current editor of Communication Research Reports and is an associate editor of the Journal of Media Psychology.

Jessalyn Coble (M.A., Communication, Virginia Tech) is a faculty member at Rowan-Carrabus Community College in Salisbury, North Carolina, U.S.A.

Gregory A. Cranmer (Ph.D., West Virginia University) is assistant professor of sport communication in the Department of Communication at Clemson University and a Faculty Fellow for the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute. His research focuses on the proper functioning of sports teams, especially the issues related to effective coaching and socializing athletes. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed manuscripts and a dozen book chapters related to these issues.

Gabriella LeTigress Devia-Allen is an On-Camera Personality and Production Specialist. As an esports and gaming professional, her work involves hosting, commentary, and content creation for various titles and genres. In fact, she has been immortalized in three titles as an announcer pack or playable card and won The Caster (2017) esports reality show in which contestants competed in various commentary and on-air talent-related tasks. Her bachelors degree in Broadcasting (concentration in TV/Film Production) coupled with her masters degree in Communication (focusing on esports and modern media) have uniquely equipped her to approach the industry as both a culture native and scholar.

Ellen Drogin Rodgers (Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University) is associate dean in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University and fellow in the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration. Her scholarship focuses on research and evaluative methodologies; the antecedents to and outcomes of participation in leisure (and the indications for underserved populations); application of social and environmental psychology to engagement (including early work on video-games and socio-emotional development); and the ways such research informs community and park planning/management. With a broad perspective on leisure, writ large, and sport more specifically, she has authored a body of research in refereed journals, book chapters, book-length monographs, and other publications, and has delivered a broad range of scholarly presentations regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Catherine Einstein earned an M.A. in Communication from Virginia Tech in 2018.

Lee K. Farquhar (Ph.D., University of Iowa) is associate professor in Butler Universitys College of Communication. His research focuses on social identity, self presentation, social well-being, and the examination of modern, digital communities.

John GeorgeEcho Fox (B.A., Butler University) has been involved in the esports community through media work over the past three years. He is currently doing contracted work as a video producer/editor for Echo Fox in Los Angeles, CA. He recently graduated as a founding member of the Esports Club at Butler University. His portfolio and works can be found on johngeorgeiv.com.

Mark Grabowski is associate professor at Adelphi University on Long Island, where he teaches internet law. He is also a lawyer and previously published a book chapter on Fantasy Sports Law. For more info, visit markgrabowski.com.

David P. Hedlund, Ph.D., is associate professor in the Division of Sport Management at St. Johns University in Queens, New York. Dr. Hedlund has more than twenty years of domestic and international experience in sport, coaching, business, education, and esports. His areas of sport expertise and research include management, marketing, consumer behavior, sponsorship, branding, entrepreneurship, coaching, analytics, and esports. Dr. Hedlund also acts as a consultant for sport, business, and entrepreneurial ventures, including speaking to organizations around the world about his research. Dr. Hedlund is the co-director of the St. Johns University Sports Analytics (SJUSA) seminar, and he also co-directs the St. Johns University esports program.

Jue Hou (Ph.D. University of Alabama, 2019) is a doctoral graduate in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. His research interests include media effects, sports communication, and a specialized focus on esport spectatorship.

James D. Ivory (Ph.D., Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is a Professor in the Department of Communication at Virginia Tech.

Kyra Keene is a former graduate student in Communication at Virginia Tech.

Jake Kucek, Kent State UniversityJake Kucek is a doctoral student at Kent State University in the communication and information studies program. His research focus is in sports identification, sports, and fandom, corporate social responsibility in sports organization, esports, and social media.

Madison Lanier (M.A. Communication, Virginia Tech) is a talent acquisition business partner at Northrop Grumman, Washington, DC.

Karen McGrath is professor of communications at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. She is interested in many trending topics and has co-authored two books: The Millennial Mindset: Unraveling Fact from Fiction and Brew Your Business: The Ultimate Craft Beer Playbook. She is currently researching and writing about educational trends including esports and Generation Z.

Timothy Mirabito, (Ph.D, University of Tennessee, 2013). Dr. Mirabito is a journalism and sports media faculty member in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College. He studies sport media effects, framing, and the sociology of sport.

Dr. Maria A. Moore (National Louis University) teaches media law, ethics, and management in the School of Communication as an associate professor at Illinois State University in Normal, IL. Previously she spent twenty-five years in broadcasting senior management. Marias scholarship focuses on whistle-blower/journalist dynamics and First Amendment free speech and assembly rights. She uses both traditional and non-traditional modes of scholarship, publishing in communication and business journals as well as authoring creative products such as documentaries, multimodal web texts, and scholarly websites.

Dr. Michael L. Naraine is lecturer (assistant professor) at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. Michaels expertise is in digital sport management, examining both the content and analytics of technological engagement, as well as the strategic management of new technologies within sport organizations.