PhD Students

Mingyang Pang

Mingyang Pang is a third-year PhD student in Sport Management and a member of the Sport Marketing and Innovative Technology Lab at the University of Minnesota. Currently, he assists in teaching Introduction to Sport Management and Senior Seminar in Sport management at the undergraduate level. His research investigates how innovative technologies shape sport consumption, focusing on (1) the effectiveness and legitimacy of tech interventions in sport media, (2) their impacts on fan attitudes, engagement, and behavior, and (3) the ethical dimensions of technology use.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Mingyang gained industry experience in research project management and social media marketing, which sparked his current research interests. His work has been supported by internal and external grants, including North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) Doctoral Research Grant and the Advance Graduate Education Fellowship. He holds two master’s degrees in sport communication and journalism, and has studied in China, Japan, Ireland, and the United States. In his free time, he enjoys playing and watching sports.

Yushi Bo

Yushi Bo is a first-year PhD student in Sport Management and a member of the SMIT Lab at the University of Minnesota. She currently serves as a teaching assistant for Sport Facility and Event Management. Before joining UMN, Yushi studied at Gonzaga University, where she worked as a graduate assistant for the Master of Arts in Sport and Athletic Administration (MASAA) program and as a marketing assistant at the Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology (IIAT). She also studied physical education at Shanghai University of Sport. Her professional experience includes working as a live-streaming specialist at Decathlon, a French sporting goods company. With a background in fitness training and sports nutrition, she previously earned personal training certifications from ACE and NSCA, as well as an ISSN Sports Nutrition Specialist certification.

Her research interests center on technology and innovation in sport, sport marketing, and consumer behavior. She is particularly interested in how emerging technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, can create new possibilities for the sport industry and enhance fan and consumer experiences.

Master's and Undergraduate Students

Yuhan (John) Wu

Yuhan (John) Wu, originally from Beijing, China, received the Global Excellence Scholarship in 2024 to start his undergraduate study as an Honors student at the University of Minnesota majoring in Sport Management. He has gained valuable experience in the sport industry through roles with Gopher Athletics at 3M Arena and Ridder Arena, as well as with the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He also completed an internship with the Cincinnati Open, one of the world’s premier professional tennis tournaments. In addition, he has served as both president and coach of the University of Minnesota Table Tennis Club since his sophomore year, leading the team to compete at the National Collegiate Table Tennis Championships.

Yuhan’s research interests focus on the application of innovative technologies, including digital and social media, in sports marketing and athlete branding, as well as their influence on consumer behavior.