Chronicling a Career

By Patrick Bohn, February 26, 2026

Reflecting on Ellen Staurowsky’s legacy at Ithaca College

Ellen Staurowsky M.S. '79 has spent 25 years as a professor at Ithaca College, as part of an academic career that spans six decades.

Ellen Staurowsky M.S. ’79 does not subscribe to the notion of retirement.

If you ask Staurowsky, who is officially—as of December 31, 2025— retired Professor of Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies, what the future holds for her, you’d probably come away thinking there’s some new definition of the word you’re unaware of.

“The most important thing is that students should know my Ithaca College e-mail is still active,” she insists. “Retirement to me is not getting up and leaving. It’s just a new relationship with the college. If any student needs support, be it references, mentoring, or collaboration, they should not hesitate to reach out to me.”

Having been in academia since 1978 as a professor, athletics coach, and administrator, Staurowsky has crossed paths with thousands of students. So, it’s not surprising that she’s not going to sever her connections with them just because she’ll no longer be standing in front of them in a classroom.

Her nearly 50-year career includes two stints at Ithaca, the first from 1992 to 2011, where she rose in Department of Sport Management from assistant professor to chair of the graduate program. She returned to South Hill in 2020, teaching in the Sports Media program, in the Roy H. Park School of Communications.

Despite her office moving across campus, one thing that never changed over the decades was Staurowsky’s unwavering support of any student who was fortunate enough to take one of her classes, or even stop by her office unexpectedly.

The breadth of Staurowsky’s impact could be felt in the LinkedIn post she made announcing her decision, which prompted a flood of responses from former students and colleagues who spanned decades. The sheer volume of comments was so high that, weeks later, she said “I still haven’t had a chance to respond to everyone.”

But it’s the stories told in those comments that, in many ways, tell the story of Ellen Staurowsky’s impact on Ithaca. Several were collected and included in a video tribute voiced by ESPN anchor Kevin Connors ’97.

ESPN anchor Kevin Connors reads just a few of the hundreds of messages sent to Ellen Staurowsky by former students and colleagues upon the announcement of her retirement.

One of those students was Dave Meluni ’00. Originally coming to Ithaca as an accounting major, he met Staurowsky under less-than-ideal circumstances as a first-year student.

“I’d failed a test, and was totally crushed,” he recalled. “I realized that I wanted to work in college athletics, but I was afraid to tell my father. She listened to me and told me to trust my gut.”

“Realizing that there was a professor who was willing to give up their time to listen to and encourage a student they didn’t even know gave me the confidence to pursue changing my major,” he continued.

The move paid off. After graduating IC, and earning a graduate degree at Florida State University, Meluni worked in athletics while at Syracuse University before moving on to become a vice president at SIDEARM Sports, a digital fan engagement provider for collegiate athletics programs and conferences. Now an associate teaching professor in the sport management program at Syracuse, he’s an example of how Staurowsky’s impact can be felt far away from South Hill.

“Her legacy is seen in her former students. They’re in power positions across athletics, working in marketing, commissioner’s offices, and as athletic directors. The impact she’s had on the industry is significant.”

Dave Meluni ’00

“Her legacy is seen in her former students,” Meluni said. “They’re in power positions across athletics, working in marketing, commissioner’s offices, and as athletic directors. The impact she’s had on the industry is significant.”

Another alum who credits Staurowsky with having a profound impact on their career is Rachel Gary ’93, who is now a freelance consultant specializing in event planning, communications strategies, and marketing.

A television-radio major who had a minor in sports studies, Gary took several classes with Staurowsky. During her senior year, Staurowsky invited Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women’s Sports Foundation, to speak on campus.

“As part of an assignment for Dr. Staurowsky’s class, I worked to promote her visit,” Gary said. “I got to know Donna Lopiano, and a few months after graduating, reintroduced myself to her, and was hired to work for the Foundation. Without her class, I never would have made that connection.”

“When we were students, she valued our opinions and points of view on the same level as professionals. That’s the level of respect she had for her students.”

Rachel Gary ’93

Over the years, Gary and Staurowsky’s professional paths frequently crossed.

“The only thing that was different was that she was now ‘Ellen’ instead of “Dr. Staurowsky,” Gary said. “Looking back, I realize that’s because when we were students, she valued our opinions and points of view on the same level as professionals. That’s the level of respect she had for her students.”

It isn’t just the classroom where her impact is felt. A pioneering voice for women’s equality in sport, Staurowsky has worked tirelessly to empower the next generation of women leaders, such as Rayahna Tryka ’26.

A sports media major, Tryka is also the president of the Ithaca College chapter of the Women in Sports Media Association.

“Dr. Staurowsky came to our club meetings to talk with us about women working in sports and ways we could empower women on campus,” said Tryka, who is also manager of Ithaca College’s Athletics Creative Media team and a seasonal photography assistant for the Buffalo Bills. “She was always checking in on us and ensuring that we felt supported.”

“I’m deeply honored to have served [our students] and grateful to have their company day in and day out. I’ve worked with so many who aspire to make a difference in the world, and for them to allow me into their lives is a privilege beyond anything I could imagine. There’s an alchemy to my relationship with the students that’s helped me find my own path.”

Ellen Staurowsky, M.S. '79

To hear Staurowsky tell it, her students’ impact on her was just as profound.

“I’m in constant awe of their talent,” she said. “I’m deeply honored to have served them and grateful to have their company day in and day out. I’ve worked with so many who aspire to make a difference in the world, and for them to allow me into their lives is a privilege beyond anything I could imagine. There’s an alchemy to my relationship with the students that’s helped me find my own path.”

That path has seen her become not only one of the college’s most respected professors, but also an international expert on social justice issues in sports, including gender equity and Title IX, college athletes’ rights and the exploitation of college athletes, representation of women in sport media, and the misappropriation of American Indian imagery in sport.

Mead Loop ’84, director of the Sports Media program at Ithaca, said that recruiting Staurowsky back to Ithaca after she’d spent nearly a decade at Drexel University was “the best decision he’d ever made.”

“Dr. Staurowsky has left an indelible mark on the Park School and on the national landscape of sport. Her influence will continue to shape both our graduates and the broader conversation around equity in sport.”

Amy Falkner, Dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications

“She is the preeminent thought leader in her field,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“Dr. Staurowsky has left an indelible mark on the Park School and on the national landscape of sport,” says Amy Falkner, dean of the Park School. “She brought intellectual rigor, policy expertise, and unwavering conviction to her scholarship and teaching and she challenged generations of students to think critically about fairness and power in athletics. Her influence will continue to shape both our graduates and the broader conversation around equity in sport.”

Asking Staurowsky about her future, it’s easy to see how prescient Falkner’s words are.

“I’m revising a text on a women in sports, and a book on the exploitation of college athletes,” she said. “And I’ve got a proposal for another book on college sport that has to be done by March, not to mention other ideas in the works.”

“Ithaca was really an intellectual home for me. When you’re deeply entrenched in a community you don’t always appreciate the specialness of what you’re a part of, but Ithaca College is truly fantastic in lot of ways.”

Ellen Staurowsky

With her mind still focused on what’s in front of her, it’s a bit of challenge to get Staurowsky to look back on her career. When she does, however, her respect and admiration for Ithaca College shines through.

“All of the schools I’ve worked at have offered me opportunities to pursue answers to meaningful questions,” she said. “But Ithaca was really an intellectual home for me. It was such a privilege to serve generations of students and be counted among a faculty that dedicated itself to teaching. When you’re deeply entrenched in a community you don’t always appreciate the specialness of what you’re a part of, but Ithaca College is truly fantastic in lot of ways.”