The Rampage #4 March 2020

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Meet Professor Kevin Downer

by Jacob Underwood

Exercise and Sport Science • 2020

“ A pproaching a decade of teaching at Bluefield College, Dr. Kevin Downer has and continues to make an impact in the lives of his students. Through his dedication to the sport industry and his yearning to help young adults progress in life, he has been an excellent example of a role model to the Bluefield College community. Dr. Downer, who serves as director of the Sports Management program and assistant professor of exercise and sport science, has been at Bluefield College for the last nine years. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa, he relocated to Bluefield in the summer of 2011. Prior to joining the Ram family, Dr. Downer devoted more than 20 years of his life to the sports industry. Frommanaging a multi-purpose sports arena, to creating his own company, Sportangles, to

(Dr.) Downer has made my time at Bluefield enjoyable and made me feel like Bluefield was the right place for me,”

He earned a bachelor’s degree in geography at California University of Pennsylvania in 1991 and followed that with a master’s degree in sport management fromWest Virginia University in 2009. A number of current and former students all speak very highly of Dr. Downer. They say he genuinely has their best interest in mind, describing him as a man with strong faith that would do anything in his power to help his students succeed. “(Dr.) Downer has made my time at Bluefield enjoyable and made me feel like Bluefield was the right place for me,” one current student said. “(Dr.) Downer is a great professor and an even better man and friend,” another student said. The students said that Dr. Downer makes it clear that he will be there not only during a student’s time at Bluefield College, but also after graduation and even farther down the line. In his free time, Dr. Downer enjoys being with his family and cheering on his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers. But in the classroom and on the BC campus, he is a valuable part of the Ram family, and students say we are lucky to have him.

finally playing a key role in the planning of four Pro Golfers Association (PGA) tournaments, Dr. Downer has gathered copious amounts of knowledge and real- world experiences which he now shares with students in the classroom.

Professor Kevin Downer