Baker, Robert E.
Dr. Robert E. Baker
Ed.D., The College of William & Mary
Professor
Interim Dean, CEHD Administration
Director, Center for Sport Management
Division Director, Division of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism
School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management Office
Sport and Recreation Studies
Sport Management
Phone: (703) 993-2004
Fax: This information is not available
Email: rbaker2 (@gmu.edu)
George Mason University
Fairfax Campus
Thompson Hall 2100
4400 University Dr.
MS 2F1
Fairfax, VA 22030
Dr. Robert E. Baker became the interim dean of the College of Education and Human Development in April 2020. He first joined George Mason University in 2005 as an associate professor and program coordinator for sport management. He most recently served as professor and director of the School of Sport Recreation and Tourism Management and the Center for Sport Management within the College of Education and Human Development. He was a member of the college’s Executive Team and Leadership Team. Prior to his arrival at Mason, he served as chair of the Department of Sport Sciences at Ashland University. He has had abundant school-based experience in Virginia and Pennsylvania as a teacher, coach, and administrator. He also served in intercollegiate athletic administrative positions in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio.
Dr. Baker earned his doctorate in Higher Education from the College of William & Mary, and both his M.S. in Sport Administration and B.S. in Secondary Education from the Pennsylvania State University. He has served as president of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), as a founding commissioner of the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA), and a founding board member of the World Association of Sport Management (WASM). Dr. Baker is a recipient of NASSM’s Distinguished Sport Management Educator Award and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Outstanding Achievement in Sport Management Award.
Dr. Baker’s research has focused on sport for development and peace, sport analytics, professional preparation in sport management, and sport leadership and coaching. In addition to dozens of books, book chapters and refereed articles, and an array of national and international presentations, Dr. Baker has served as the principal investigator on over seven million dollars in grants. While at Mason, he was principle investigator of the Sport Diplomacy Initiative, a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of State that employed sport as a vehicle to promote intercultural understanding. Over 1200 participants from 81 countries participated in the sport-based experiences, breaking down barriers, enhancing intergroup understanding, and yielding a greater awareness of the impact of sport in development and diplomatic processes.
Dr. Baker’s wife, Dr. Pamela Hudson Baker, is also a tenured faculty member at George Mason University.
Stakeholder Dynamics in Sport - including:
- Leadership
- Contextual Issues
- Governance & Policy
- Inclusive Sport
- Sport Management Professional Preparation
- Sport for Development and Peace
- Sport Analytics
- School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management
- Division of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism
- Sport Management
- Sport and Recreation Studies
- Recreation Management
- Tourism and Events Management
- Center for Sport Management
- Center for International Education
- CEHD Administration
- School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management Office
- Doctoral Dissertation Proposal (EDUC 998)
- Special Topics (EFHP 598)
- Independent Study EFHP (EFHP 599)
- Introduction to Sport Management (SPMT 201)
- Foundations of Sport Coaching (SPMT 210)
- Practicum (SPMT 241)
- Psychology of Sport (SPMT 320)
- Field Experience in Sport Coaching (SPMT 341)
- Economics and Finance in the Sport Industry (SPMT 420)
- Global Perspectives in Sport (SPMT 440)
- Strategic Management and Leadership in Sport Organizations (SPMT 470)
- Sport Management Professional Development Seminar (SPMT 475)
- Internship (SPMT 490)
- Independent Study (SPMT 499)
- Sport in the Global Marketplace (SPMT 551)
- Sport Marketing and Sales (SPMT 611)
- Economics and Financial Management in the Sport Industry (SPMT 612)
- Strategic Leadership in Sport Organizations (SPMT 613)
- Psychology of Coaching (SPMT 618)
- Sport and International Development (SPMT 651)
- Thesis Preparation (SRST 595)
- Special Topics (SRST 598)
- Independent Study in Sport and Recreation Studies (SRST 599)
- Master's Project/Internship (SRST 798)
- Master's Thesis (SRST 799)
- Special Topics (TOUR 480)