Announcement
June 22, 2026
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jess Dixon to the position of Interim Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. This appointment will commence on July 1, 2026, as a term appointment in keeping with the Bylaw requirements for up to two years.
Dr. Jess Dixon has been a faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Windsor since 2006, where he currently serves as Professor and Head of the Department of Kinesiology. Over nearly two decades, he has held several major leadership roles within the Faculty of Human Kinetics, including Acting Dean (2020–2021) and Special Advisor to the Provost for Return to Campus Planning (2021–2022). In these positions, he has guided academic operations, supported institutional planning, and contributed to strategic initiatives that have shaped the direction of the Faculty and the University.
As an educator, Dr. Dixon is deeply committed to mentorship and student success. He has supervised and co‑supervised numerous undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom have earned prestigious awards such as the Governor General’s Gold Medal, Outstanding Undergraduate and Graduate Student Research & Innovation Awards, UWill Discover Gold Medal, Canada Graduate Scholarships, and Ontario Graduate Scholarships. His teaching excellence has been recognized through honours including the University of Windsor Alumni Association’s Excellence in Mentoring Award (2016), the Wayne Marino Faculty of Human Kinetics Teaching Excellence Award (2019), and the North American Society for Sport Management’s Distinguished Educator Award (2024). His extensive teaching portfolio spans foundational, advanced, and graduate-level courses in sport management, human resource management, finance, and strategic management.
Dr. Dixon’s scholarly contributions have significantly influenced the field of sport management. He has authored numerous peer‑reviewed publications, book chapters, and conference papers, with research supported by major funding bodies such as SSHRC. His work explores strategic management in sport, organizational behaviour, and relative age effects in athlete development. Beyond his research, he has provided substantial service to the profession through editorial leadership—including serving as Editor‑in‑Chief of Case Studies in Sport Management—and through participation on national and international committees. His career reflects a sustained commitment to advancing sport management education, supporting student development, and strengthening the academic community at the University of Windsor and beyond.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Dixon.
Also, I would like to extend our gratitude to Dr. Patti Weir for her more than 10 years of leadership as Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Search Committee Members
Chair:
Cheryl Collier, Interim Provost and Vice-President, Academic
Faculty Representatives:
Arezoo Emadi, Faculty, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Michael MacDonald, Faculty, Faculty of Education
Kathryn Pfaff, Faculty, Faculty of Nursing
Chitra Rangan, Faculty, Department of Physics
Staff Representative:
Marie Hawkins, Director of Graduate Academic Services, Faculty of Graduate Studies
Student Representatives:
Behzad Bolandi, Ph.D. Student, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Dora Strelkova, Graduate Student, Mechanical, Automotive and Materials Engineering
Equity Assessor:
Karen Pillon, Librarian, Leddy Library
Committee Resource:
Iva Gentcheva, Manager, Faculty Relations
Recording Secretary:
Blair Gagne, Executive Assistant to the Provost and VP, Academic