Dr John Nauright

John, is currently Director and Karen Wax Schmitt and Family Endowed Professor, School of Kinesiology / École de kinésiologie, Louisiana State University.

Having received his PhD in History from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, he is widely recognised as an expert in fields of sport, events and tourism, which he has merged with his background in history to promote programs and research in the area of Cultural Heritage Management.

While working at the University of Brighton in England he engaged in funded research projects on the development of Hastings Castle as a tourism site for cultural heritage and local economic development in 1066 Country; conducted research on the role of Sussex Bonfire Societies in heritage, culture and tourism. Current research focuses on heritage, cultural and economic development in the Atlantic World and on sustainable financial planning for at risk heritage properties.

He is an academic affiliate of the Centre for Responsible Travel and Visiting Professor at the University of Ghana; University of the West Indies; Higher School of Economics in Russia; Henan University in China; and Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University in the Ukraine.

He is author or editor of 28 books and over 130 additional refereed publications. He also appeared on and consulted for the four-part BBC series The Union Game on the heritage and culture of rugby union football.

John also created the first undergraduate specialisation in cultural heritage management in the USA partnered with organisations such as Preservation Pennsylvania and the National Museum of Industrial History.