When arrived at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ as a first-year student, she envisioned a future in physical therapy.

Four years later, the graduating senior leaves ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ not only with two majors, but with published scholarship, national conference presentations, and a growing passion for research that ultimately reshaped her career ambitions.

This winter, the native of Walnut Creek, California, served as lead author on a research publication in the , collaborating with ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ faculty members Alex Traugutt, Caroline Ketcham and Eric Hall. The publication represents the latest milestone in a research journey that began during her sophomore year, when she approached Ketcham about becoming involved with ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ BrainCARE.

ā€œAt the time, I was an exercise science major planning to apply to physical therapy school, so while I was genuinely interested in concussions and brain health, I also saw research as a way to deepen my involvement at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ and strengthen my future applications,ā€ McAfee said.

As she became more involved with research, McAfeeā€™s interests evolved beyond concussions and brain injuries. While reviewing existing scholarship, she became increasingly interested in the ways athletics influence student-athletes off the playing field.

ā€œOne article in particular sparked my curiosity about how sports shape athletes beyond their playing careers,ā€ McAfee said. ā€œThis led me to explore whether competitive sports help develop career readiness and how athlete identity may influence academic performance.ā€

Those experiences ultimately inspired McAfee to add sport management as a second major, where she met Traugutt during her first course in the department.

ā€œLucy is an intellectually driven student researcher who, over nearly three years of collaboration, led data collection, identified research topics and conducted analyses that resulted in two first-author peer-reviewed publications before completing her undergraduate degree,ā€ said Traugutt, assistant professor of sport management.

Traugutt explained that McAfee distinguished herself through both her intellectual curiosity and her ability to connect research with practical application.

ā€œWhat sets Lucy apart is her ability to bridge scholarship and practice,ā€ Traugutt said, noting that she has presented research twice at the Applied Sport Management Conference and participated in multiple SURF and SURE programs.

McAfee said that working closely with Traugutt, Ketcham and Hall helped strengthen both her confidence and critical-thinking skills.

ā€œWhen I first started doing research, I felt uncertain about my future and my own abilities,ā€ McAfee said. ā€œDr. Alex Traugutt, Dr. Caroline Ketcham and Dr. Eric Hall each played a key role in guiding me, giving me direction, and helping me build confidence in my research skills.ā€

She especially valued the collaborative nature of the work.

ā€œI particularly enjoyed our meetings ā€“Ā especially the ones at The Oak House ā€“Ā where we would dissect the data together,ā€ McAfee said. ā€œConsistently learning and discussing research with such knowledgeable professors pushed me to think more critically and challenged me to contribute insights of my own.ā€

McAfeeā€™s recent publication is not expected to be her last contribution to the field. In addition to a forthcoming publication in Case Studies in Sport Management examining career readiness programming for student-athletes, she and Traugutt recently submitted a third research paper examining the NCAA transfer portal and high school recruiting opportunities in college football to the Journal of Applied Sport Management.

That research grew out of McAfeeā€™s desire to better understand the rapidly changing dynamics of college athletics.

ā€œMy interest in the transfer portal stemmed from conversations during my time at the ACC, where its impact on various stakeholders was frequently discussed,ā€ said McAfee, who completed an internship with the Power 4 conference last summer. ā€œHowever, I noticed there was limited research regarding its effects on high school athletes. I saw that as an opportunity to contribute meaningful new knowledge to the field of sport management.ā€

Traugutt said McAfeeā€™s work stands out for both its academic rigor and its broader relevance within athletics and higher education.

ā€œHer work examining athletic identity, career readiness and student-athlete development is not only carefully designed and executed, but deeply meaningful, directly addressing questions that matter to practitioners and institutions alike,ā€ Traugutt said.

McAfee also served as an executive intern with ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Athletics, an experience Traugutt said complemented the practical focus of her research.

After graduation, McAfee will pursue a masterā€™s degree in higher education at Boston College, where she will hold two graduate assistantships ā€“ one as a student-athlete academic adviser within Boston College Athletics and another with Tufts Medical Schoolā€™s graduate student services department.

Traugutt said those opportunities speak to both McAfeeā€™s academic growth and the practical focus she brought to her research throughout her time at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ.

ā€œThese achievements reflect a student who takes her work seriously and understands its real-world implications,ā€ Traugutt said. ā€œI have no doubt she will carry that same curiosity, independence and commitment into her graduate studies at Boston College and beyond.ā€

As Commencement approaches, McAfee said her undergraduate research experiences transformed her ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ journey in ways she never anticipated.

ā€œWhen I received my acorn at convocation, I never imagined I would be doing research at this level,ā€ McAfee said. ā€œNow, as I prepare to receive my sapling at Baccalaureate, Iā€™m incredibly grateful for the opportunities and support that made that possible.ā€

On Dec. 6, 2025, day started not in ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, but Charlotte.

By 8 a.m., the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ senior was already at the Spectrum Center, one of the Queen Cityā€™s marquee entertainment venues, helping with operations for a neutral-site college basketball matchup between Dayton and Virginia. Hours later, she was darting through the tunnels of Bank of America Stadium as part of the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game staff, helping coordinate pregame activities, managing an on-field photo experience for youth teams, and assisting with postgame celebrations after Dukeā€™s dramatic victory over Virginia.

In between, there were meetings, setup responsibilities, logistics and constant communication. The football championship game eventually stretched beyond regulation, adding even more chaos to an already packed day.

For Selikoff, though, the day never felt overwhelming.

ā€œIt doesnā€™t really feel like work because I love what Iā€™m doing,ā€ she said. ā€œItā€™s rewarding because you ultimately get to see the experience that it brings at the end of the day.ā€

That whirlwind Saturday last fall captured much of Selikoffā€™s ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ experience ā€“ ambitious, hands-on and deeply connected to the sport industry she hopes to build a career in after graduation.

A double major in cinema and television arts and sport management, Selikoff arrived at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ from northern New Jersey already knowing she wanted a university where relationships with professors and classmates grew naturally. After visiting campus during her senior year of high school, the decision came quickly.

ā€œThe second we drove through campus, I told my parents, ā€˜Iā€™m done,ā€™ā€ she said. ā€œI knew this was where I wanted to be.ā€

Once at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ, she wasted little time getting involved.

Selikoff joined ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Sports Vision during her first semester and directed her first broadcast before fall break. She also became involved with the Sport Management Society, an organization that shaped much of her college experience, and Women Influencers in Sports. After serving in various leadership roles, she now leads the society as president, helping connect students with industry professionals through networking events, facility tours and guest speakers.

ā€œWhat stands out most about Abby is her ability to pair intellectual curiosity with real-world execution,ā€ said Shaina Dabbs, associate professor and chair in the Department of Sport Management. ā€œShe is someone who doesnā€™t just show up, she fully invests in every opportunity in front of her. Simply put, she says ā€˜yes.ā€™ Whether in the classroom, in research, or in the industry, Abby consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and a genuine desire to learn.ā€

Selikoffā€™s willingness to embrace opportunity eventually led her to participate in The Sport Experience in Charlotte during fall 2024, where she balanced 18 credit hours with internships at both NASCAR and the ACC.

At NASCAR, she worked with digital products, supporting the organizationā€™s website, app, fantasy platform and fan rewards program. Simultaneously, she served as a Football Game Day Operations Center intern with the ACC, monitoring games and helping ensure smooth coordination between on-site officials and conference staff in Charlotte.

By the end of the semester, Selikoff had completed more than 500 internship hours.

The experience ā€“Ā and her work ethic ā€“Ā opened the door to additional opportunities with the ACC. Over the next two years, Selikoff worked more than 25 football games while also supporting conference championships and events in basketball, gymnastics, baseball and tennis.

One of her favorite experiences came when the ACC sent her on-site to shadow replay officials during football games at North Carolina and N.C. State, attending pre- and post-game meetings in the process.

ā€œBeing part of those big-game environments was incredible,ā€ Selikoff said. ā€œI got to see firsthand the communication between the game officials and Charlotte, and then bring what I learned back into the office.ā€

Dabbs said Selikoff fully embraced ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s experiential learning model.

ā€œAbby is a great example of a student who maximized the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ experience by intentionally connecting academics with industry opportunities,ā€ Dabbs said. ā€œWhat is particularly impressive is how she did not treat these as isolated experiences ā€“Ā she built a cohesive skillset across operations, media and fan engagement.ā€

Alongside her internships and leadership roles, Selikoff also immersed herself in undergraduate research under the mentorship of Young Do Kim, associate professor of sport management, and Tony Weaver, associate dean in the School of Communications.

Since fall 2023, she has investigated how professional sports organizations market sustainability initiatives and how those efforts shape consumer perceptions, gaining valuable insights into sustainability, marketing and environmental communications. The research led her to complete IRB approval and CITI certification, present at ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience and Spring Undergraduate Research Forum, and share her findings at the Sport Marketing Association Conference in Arizona. Additionally, she is currently working on a manuscript based on her results.

ā€œI never thought I would be doing undergraduate research,ā€ Selikoff admitted. ā€œBut Iā€™ve loved it throughout the entire process.ā€

Beyond academics and internships, Selikoff credits ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s faculty mentors with helping her grow personally and professionally.

She points to Kim, Dabbs, Weaver and Staci Saltz, chair of the Department of Cinema and Television Arts, as key influences throughout her four years on campus.

ā€œThe Sport Management Department is incredibly close-knit,ā€ Selikoff said. ā€œIt feels kind of like a family. I can go to professors for anything ā€“Ā whether itā€™s personal or academic ā€“Ā and theyā€™ve all had a strong impact on me.ā€

Fittingly, Selikoffā€™s ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ experience actually became a family affair when her younger sister, Emily, enrolled at the university two years ago. The two regularly meet for meals, cross paths in the School of Communications, and share many of the same academic interests.

ā€œItā€™s honestly been really great having her here,ā€ Selikoff said. ā€œItā€™s like having an extra piece of home.ā€

After graduation, Selikoff hopes to return to Charlotte and continue building a career in sports media, communications or event operations. Whatever path she ultimately takes, she leaves ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ with the kind of hands-on experience many young professionals spend years trying to find.

For Mirai, her short film shoot was an opportunity to both produce her original script and bring together several ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ alumni for a Hollywood reunion. Serving in various production capacities on her ā€œ#StopAsianKateā€ were Lauren Gadd ā€™06, who worked camera, Katie Laurence ā€™24, who worked as assistant camera, Alicia Reynolds ā€™07, who acted in the film, Stevie Kloeber ā€™07, who traveled to Los Angeles from Minnesota to serve as script supervisor, and Dean Karasinski ā€™06, who worked in production design, art department, craft services and as producer.

All three short films, Boydā€™s ā€œThe Life and Time of …,ā€ Evansā€™s ā€œShadow Duskā€ and Miraiā€™s ā€œ#StopAsianKate,ā€ will have their world premieres at the first ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival, in late July.

This new, customized workshop also presented an opportunity for ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ LA students to learn from and share the creative process with a group of students from other study-away LA colleges and universities, who, along with ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles, are members of a coalition of nearly 20 schools that offer semester-in-LA programs. Each semester, ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ LA and these other schools share professional development opportunities for students, allowing them to mix, mingle, network and learn together.

Each semester, ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ students explore and discover Los Angeles and the diversity of professional career opportunities that await them through academic classes with professors who work in the industries that align with their courses, immersive, site-based experiential learning, alumni engagement and community service.

Applications for the Study USA Los Angeles spring 2027 Creative Industries & Community Experience open on April 1. Students can visit theĀ  to learn more and to begin the application process.

The gathering, held at The Belmont in West Hollywood, brought together an enthusiastic group of alumni, many of whom had participated in the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ LA semester experience during their ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ academic journeys.

Current students shared internship and academic class experiences with their new ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ connections. Many took advantage of the opportunity to request meetings later this semester with individual alumni as a part of the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles ā€œCoffee with an Alumnusā€ program.

The immersive Study USA Los Angeles semester and summer experiences offer students opportunities for alumni engagement, community service, unique academic classes with industry professionals, and site-based experiential learning.Ā  for Spring 2027 open April 1.

In accordance with the terms of their grants, alumna Bex Evans ā€™16, Julie Boyd ā€™15 and Mirai ā€™07 have each created opportunities for spring students to participate in and/or observe both their pre-production process and on-set work.

Pre-production of all three short films is slated to begin this week, with production to start shortly thereafter. Production of all three films will be completed by the end of the Los Angeles spring semester in April. The three short films will have their world premiere this July at the first ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival.

ThroughĀ Study USAĢż²¹²Ō»åĢżNational Campus Programs, ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles offers an immersive spring and summer semester of academic classes, experiential learning, professional development and community service opportunities for students with a variety of majors. For information about the Los Angeles experience and 2027 opportunities, please visit theĀ Ģż²¹²Ō»åĢżNational Campus ProgramsĢż·É±š²ś²õ¾±³Ł±š²õ.

A Saturday morning orientation introduced students to the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles home base at The Preserve, in Hollywood, and included presentations by all of this semesterā€™s faculty about their courses and the content of their classes.

Returning instructors include director and long-time ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ LA professor Boris Schaarschmidt, who is once again teaching a directing masterclass. Entertainment attorney Daniel Spitz has returned to teach Media Law and Ethics, and writer and longtime ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ LA professor Matthew Antonelli has returned to teach a unique, one-evening master seminar in March, called Inside the Writerā€™s Room.

New to the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles faculty team this semester are art historian and educator Charles Peterson, who is teaching a course in Los Angeles art and architecture history, and award-winning global strategist, thought leader and educator Brandon Shamim, who is teaching ā€œPrinciples of Management,ā€ with a Los Angeles focus.

ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles director and long time industry professional Brad Lemack is once again teaching the experiential learning course this spring, which focuses student internship experiences on work culture, industry shifts and transitions, and professional development.

ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles program assistant and ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ alumna Macy Mills ā€˜23 led students on their first excursion this semester after orientation, with an immersive day of LA experiences at the world class Getty Center, followed by a visit to the historic Los Angeles Farmerā€™s Market and The Grove, at Third and Fairfax.

In addition to unique academic classes and internships, this spring semester experience for students will also include a day of community service at the Hollywood Food Coalition, alumni engagement gatherings and the opportunity to participate in and/or observe the production of the three short films being produced by the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ LA-based alumni recipients of the 2025-26 ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Competition.

Through and National Campus Programs, ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles offers immersive spring and summer semester programs for students with a variety of majors. For information about the Los Angeles experience and 2027 opportunities, please visit the and National Campus Programs websites.

The 2025-26 Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant competition was open to all Los Angeles-based ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ alumni to submit proposals this past fall for consideration for production funding. A selection committee comprised of both industry professionals and ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ alumni was assembled to read, review and rank all proposals received. From those rankings, the top three highest-ranked projects were selected to receive grants. Grant funding was made possible, in part, by the financial support from members of the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles alumni community and others.

The three grant recipients are Julia Boyd ā€™15, for her short film ā€œThe Life and Times of …ā€, Mirai ā€™07, for her short film ā€œ#StopAsianKateā€ and Bex Evans ā€™16, for their short film ā€œShadow Dusk.ā€

Production of these funded projects will commence in early 2026. As a component of the grant requirements, filmmakers will make opportunities available to ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles Spring 2026 students to participate in their projects through direct set experience and/or production observation. ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles program assistant and alumna Macy Mills ā€™23 and alumnus Jordan Roman ā€™15 were co-chairs of this yearā€™s grant competition.

The selection committee members included Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and showrunner (ā€œLost,ā€ House,ā€ ā€œThe Good Wifeā€) ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ parent Leonard Dick Pā€™20 (father of Julie Dick ā€™20), Emmy Award-winning producer Marsha Posner Williams (ā€œThe Golden Girlsā€), actor Eric Rollins, and LA-based alumni Frankie Campisano ā€™16, Mia Ginae Watkins ā€™16, Lauren Duncan ā€™18 and Alyssa Needham ā€™19.

The three short films funded will have their world premieres at the first ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival in late July 2026.

Sixteen students in The Sport Experience program in Charlotte supported the largest Novant Health Charlotte Marathon in the raceā€™s 21-year history, contributing more than 140 hours of professional event-operations work during the annual eventā€™s race weekend.

More than 11,000 runners participated across the marathon, half marathon and 5K ā€” an all-time high ā€” and ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ students were embedded in nearly every aspect of race execution. The day before the event, three students supported the marathon expo and assisted with pre-race setup. Then, beginning at 4 a.m. on race day, students helped with start- and finish-line logistics, runner information services, medical tent coordination and the distribution of thousands of branded beanies to participants.

Among those deeply involved in race operations was , a sport management major who is interning with the Charlotte Marathon under Executive Director Alaina Williams. According to Young Do Kim, associate professor of sport management, Williams helped create the internship specifically for ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ and also facilitated this yearā€™s race-weekend placement for The Sport Experience cohort.

ā€œAlaina has provided an incredible pathway for our students ā€“ both through this hands-on event operations opportunity and through Ramyā€™s internship,ā€ Kim said. ā€œItā€™s the type of industry partnership that elevates our program and prepares students for professional success.ā€

Now in its third year, The Sport Experience in Charlotte continues to expand ĀŅĀ׏Óʵā€™s footprint in one of the nationā€™s fastest-growing sports hubs. While studying in Charlotte, ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ students have interned at several organizations, including Fox Sports and the Atlantic Coast Conference, conducted site visits to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Team Penske, Bank of America Stadium, and the Spectrum Center, and attended sporting events to watch the Checkers, Knights, Panthers, Hornets, and Charlotte FC.

The marathon ā€“ which drew runners from all 50 states and 19 countries ā€“ saw Knoxvilleā€™s Carter Coughlin win the menā€™s division in 2:31:44 and Matthews native Jessica Sarnicola claim the womenā€™s title in 3:01:48.

To learn more about The Sport Experience program and its opportunities to live, learn and intern in Charlotte, visit the program website.

Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and showrunner (ā€œLost,ā€ House,ā€ ā€œThe Good Wifeā€) and ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ parent Leonard Dick P’20 (father of Julie Dick ā€™20), Emmy Award-winning producer Marsha Posner Williams (ā€œThe Golden Girlsā€) and actor Eric Rollins will join with ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ LA-based alumni filmmakers award- Frankie Campisano ā€™16, Mia Ginae Watkins ā€™16, Lauren Duncan ā€™18 and Alyssa Needham ā€™19 to read, rank and judge the 2025-26 competition submissions received. The submission window for project proposals closed on Oct. 1.

Award recipients will be announced in early December 2026. Funded projects will require the alumni filmmakers to include the participation of students from the ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles spring 2026 semester experience in various production, performance and other capacities.

The three fund-supported films will have their premiere screenings in late July 2026 at the first ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles Alumni Film Festival.

ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ alumni Jordan Roman ā€˜15 and Macy Mills ā€˜23 (Mills also serves as ĀŅĀ׏Óʵ Los Angeles program assistant) are the short film grant projectā€™s co-chairs.