Dr. Daniel F. Mahony became Winthrop University's 11th president on July 1, 2015. In his first year Dr. Mahony called for a campus-wide effort to develop a strategy that would build on Winthrop's past successes, including its strong reputation, focus on students, and its willingness to adapt to the changing realities of public higher education.
Based on numerous discussions with constituent groups, the Winthrop Plan is Winthrop's strategy to become a national model for a student-centered university experience. The Winthrop Plan will guide the university through 2025 with initiatives to drive enrollment, retention, student success, diversity, and fundraising.
Dr. Mahony enjoys connecting with students and believes it is important to remain current in his academic area of sport management. He team-taught a course, History and Current Issues of College Athletics, with Athletics Director Ken Halpin in spring 2017, the only one of its kind in the country, and plans to teach again in spring 2018.
Prior to coming to Winthrop, he served for seven years as dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and a professor of sport management at Kent State University in Ohio. This large college included 57 degree programs and approximately 5,400 students. During his time as dean, Dr. Mahony was instrumental in the development of the college's strategic plan and reorganization. Under his leadership, the college's total student enrollment and retention rates increased significantly; new faculty positions were allocated to growing programs; classroom technology upgrades were implemented; funding and support for research was increased; and emphasis on diversity and international initiatives was expanded.
Dr. Mahony also spent 13 years as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Louisville where his positions included sport administration program director, department chair, associate dean, assistant provost, and associate provost. In these roles, he had a variety of responsibilities including strategic planning, student learning assessment, program review, budget management, and accreditation.
Prior to his faculty and administrative positions, Dr. Mahony worked in both public accounting and intercollegiate athletics. He earned a B.S. in accounting from Virginia Tech, an M.S. in sport management from West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in sport management from Ohio State University. He is an active researcher in the areas of sport consumer behavior and intercollegiate athletics and has published more than 60 articles in various refereed journals, several book chapters, and one book.
Dr. Mahony received the 2007 Earle F. Zeigler Award from the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) for his research contributions to the field. He is a NASSM Research Fellow and served as the association's president from 2003-2004. Dr. Mahony is the recipient of the 2015 McInnis/Ryan Award from the American Association of University Administrators (AAUA), which recognized his principled and ethical leadership practices, and his scholarship regarding issues of justice and ethics in college, high school and professional sport. Dr. Mahony was the inaugural recipient of the Daniel Mahony Award for Social Responsibility from the Office of Diversity Outreach and Development in Kent State University's College of Education, Health and Human Services. Dr. Mahony also received the 2018 Academic Achievement in Sport and Entertainment Award from Sport and Entertainment Venues Tomorrow. He also is a member of his college's Hall of Fame at West Virginia University and Pi Kappa Alpha's Order of the West Range.
Originally from Clinton, New Jersey, Dr. Mahony has been married for more than 20 years to wife Laura, with whom he has two children, son Gavin and daughter Elena.
