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Belmont, N.C. (August 31, 2006) -- Belmont Abbey College, home to the nation's first four-year bachelor's degree in Business with a concentration in Motorsports Management, today announced the appointment of Dr. Tracy Rishel as director of the program. In her new role, she is responsible for curriculum development and delivery, motorsports industry relations and student advising. Rishel will also be involved with marketing, internships and student recruitment for this groundbreaking offering.
" Tracy brings a unique set of qualifications to this position," said Dr. Philip Bayster, chair of the Belmont Abbey College Business Department where the motorsports management program resides. "Her impressive academic credentials, expertise in operations management and previous faculty experience in motorsports make her the ideal choice to lead this program."
A longtime racing fan from central Pennsylvania , Rishel comes to The Abbey after two years at N.C. A&T in Greensboro where she contributed her expertise in the business aspects of racing to the school’s motorsports technology curriculum. In addition to numerous faculty positions, including four years at UNC Wilmington, her background includes private sector posts in manufacturing and consulting. An active member of the N.C. Motorsports Education Coalition (MEC) since its inception, Tracy has researched, presented findings and co-authored numerous articles related to the business of motorsports.
“I love academia and have a passion for motorsports so the opportunity to combine the two is my dream job,” said Rishel. “My goal with this new position is to develop a sound program that graduates students with the business knowledge and skills needed by the industry,” she added.
Rishel holds three degrees from The Pennsylvania State University: a bachelor's and master's in business logistics as well as a doctorate of philosophy in operations management. She currently lives in Advance, N.C., but as a diehard Penn State football fan, returns to State College , Penn. , several times a year.
Continuously ranked one of the best comprehensive colleges in the southeast by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Belmont Abbey College is located just 10 miles west of Charlotte , N.C. , which is the largest city in the Carolinas and considered NASCAR's epicenter. Steeped in its 130-year Catholic Benedictine heritage, this liberal arts college is home to more than 1,100 students from 34states and 17 countries and welcomes anyone from any background or tradition committed to its vision of excellence and virtue.
Media Contact:
Colleen Brannan
704/458-2289
colleenbrannan@bac.edu |
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