Two-time Paralympic Gold Medalist to Direct Online Segment of Shorter College’s Sport Management Program
 
July 8 - Despite her recent relocation to Arizona, two-time Paralympic Gold Medalist Jennifer Ruddell will remain an active part of the Shorter College faculty as director of the college’s online studies in sport management. Her involvement illustrates an important benefit of adding online offerings to the college’s existing strong programs.

“Thanks to the online component of our degree program in sport management, Shorter students will be able to continue to benefit from Dr. Ruddell’s wealth of experience and knowledge in this field,” said Dr. Harold E. Newman, president of Shorter College. “The online program makes distance teaching possible just as it enables distance learning.” Dr. Ruddell expressed her pleasure at her continuing affiliation with Shorter College. “I am very excited to continue to be a part of the Shorter family,” she said. “While I miss campus, the online studies in sport management are a way for me to stay connected with students and faculty. Ideally, I can provide new students, those traditionally unable to attend college for multiple reasons, an opportunity to benefit from Shorter’s educational successes.”

Dr. Ruddell was co-captain of the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team that won gold in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and a member of the 2004 gold-medal-winning team that competed in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. A native of Champaign, Ill., Dr. Ruddell is one of the world’s top women wheelchair basketball players. In addition to her gold medal performances at the Paralympics, she helped the U.S. team claim the gold medal at the 2007 Parapan American Games. She also competed in five consecutive national championship games while a student at the University of Illinois with the team winning four of those games. She was named First Team All-Tournament in four of those seasons.

Dr. Ruddell has taught a wide variety of sport management, recreation, leisure and kinesiology classes on the collegiate level. She holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree in sports management with an emphasis on disability sport and has experience with professional, collegiate, international and youth sports.

Shorter announced the addition of online courses to its existing degree program in sport management in June. The degree focuses on the preparation of professionals qualified to manage and lead sport-related organizations. With the addition of online courses, Shorter can better serve individuals who are interested in entering the $200-billion-per-year sport industry, which has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States.

For additional information on Shorter’s online courses in sport management, visit online.shorter.edu, call 706-233-7319 or e-mail online@shorter.edu.

Founded in 1873, Shorter College is a Christian college committed to excellence in education. Since 2003, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Shorter among the South’s best baccalaureate colleges, and The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its lists of best value and best Southeastern colleges. The college offers bachelor’s degrees in 48 major areas, master’s level and undergraduate degree programs for working adults, online courses, and a vibrant intercollegiate athletic program. Shorter will transition to university status June 1, 2010. For more information, visit www.shorter.edu.

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