S. P. (Sam) Morris

Degrees

Ph.D., The Ohio State University, Philosophy, History, and Socio-Cultural Study of Sport (Dissertation: On Sport Hunting: A Philosophical Case-Study in Animal Sports)
M.S., Miami University, Sport Organization
B.S., Miami University, Sport Studies

Positions Held

• Clinical Professor, Miami University (2019 - present)
• Associate Clinical Professor, Miami University (2018 - 2019)
• Senior Clinical Faculty, Miami University (2017 - 2018)
• Clinical Faculty, Miami University, (2011 – 2017)
• Lecturer, The Ohio State University, (2010 – 2011)
• Graduate Teaching Associate, The Ohio State University, (2006 – 2010)
• Staff Assistant, Ohio High School Athletic Association, (2006 – 2011)
• Graduate Teaching Associate, Miami University, (2003 – 2005)

Major Service Initiatives

• University Senator at-large (2020 – present)
• Chair, Faculty Welfare Committee (2021 – present)
• Benefits Committee (ex officio) (2021 – present)
• Faculty Advisor:
  • Sport Leadership & Management Club (2018 – present)
  • Miami University Powerlifting Club (2020 – present)
  • Miami University Weightlifting Club (2018 – present)
• Institutional Task Force on Student, Faculty, and Staff Mental Health and Well-being (2022 – 2023)
• Athletic Policy Committee (2017 – 2020)

Awards and Recognition

• Peter Magolda Teaching Excellence Award Winner (2020)
• Excellence in Career Development Award Winner (2016)
• Two time Outstanding Professor Award (nominee), Associated Student Government (2015, 2019)
• Twelve-time earner of official commendations for excellence in teaching (2012 – 2023)
• Eight-time Top-100 award winner for excellence in teaching (2013 – 2020)
• Exceptional Service Award winner in the College of Education, Health & Society (2014)
• Recipient of a Certificate of Professional Development in College Teaching (2008)
• Recipient of the Zuck Scholarship (2007 – 2008)
• Finalist for the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport, Barbra Brown Student Paper Award (2006)

Scholarly Focus

Philosophy, history, and socio-cultural study of sport; especially ethics in sports. My scholarship is interdisciplinary but grounded primarily in philosophy (generally) and ethics (specifically). I accent heavily from sociology and history and my work is inescapably tied to the interplay of markets, economies, institutions, social conditions, and concerns over justice, broadly conceived. The overarching objective of my scholarship (and teaching) is to work toward the betterment of sport management, as an institution, and of societies (generally), domestic and abroad.

Editorial Boards

• Journal of the Philosophy of Sport (2022 – present)
• Sport, Ethics & Philosophy, ad hoc (2020 – present)
  • Guest Editor: Special Issue: Sport and Species
• Annal of Leisure Research, ad hoc (2015)
• Critical Philosophy of Race, ad hoc (2015)

Recent Publications

• Morris, S.P. (2024). “Sport and Animal Ethics.” Routledge Encyclopedia of Sport Studies, in press
• Morris, S.P. (2023). “Hunting, the Duty to Aid, and Wild Animal Ethics.” Sport, Ethics & Philosophy, 17 (4): 422 – 431.
• Morris, S.P. and Gabriela Tymowski-Gionet. (2023) “Introduction to special Issue of SEP: Sport and Species.” Sport, Ethics & Philosophy, 17 (4): 399 – 402.
• Morris, S.P. and Gabriela Tymowski-Gionet. (2022). “What a Pandemic Might Teach Us about Using Animals for Sport.” In Philosophy, Sport, and the Pandemic, by Jeffrey P. Fry and Andrew Edgar. New York: Routledge, 234 – 246
• Beissel, Adam, Andrew Grainger, and S.P. Morris. (2022). “Going Global: Developing, Designing, and Delivering a High-Impact Short-Term, Faculty-Led Study Abroad for Sport Management Students.” In Sport Management Education: Global Perspectives and Implications for Practice, by Mike Rayner and Tom Webb. London: Routledge, 86 – 109
• Morris, S.P. (2020). “A Moral Defense of Trophy Hunting and Why it Fails,” Sport, Ethics, and Philosophy, DOI: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17511321.2020.1770847
• Morris, S.P. (2018). “Violence Among Beasts: Why it is Wrong to Harm Nonhuman Animals in the Context of a Game.” The Philosophical Journal of Conflict and Violence, 2 (2): 383 – 394.
• Morris, S.P. (2015). “Moral Luck and the Talent Problem,” Sport, Ethics & Philosophy, 9 (4), 363 – 375
• Morris, S.P. (2014). “The Sport Status of Hunting.” International Journal of Applied Philosophy, 28 (2): 391 – 407
• Morris, S.P. (2014). “The Trouble with Mascots.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 42 (2), 287 – 297
• Morris, S.P. (2014). “The Ethics of Interspecies Sports.” In Sport, Animals and Society, by James Gillett and Michelle Gilbert. New York: Routledge, 127 – 139
• Morris, S.P. (2014). “Deception in Sports.” Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 41 (2): 177 – 191
• Morris, S.P. (2013). “Challenging the Values of Hunting: Fair Chase, Game Playing, and Intrinsic Value.” Environmental Ethics 35 (3): 295 – 311

Courses Taught

• SLM 495: Practicum in Sport Leadership and Management
• SLM 4/572: Sport in Schools and Colleges
• SLM 225: Ethics in Sports
• SLM 4/516: Sport Marketing
• SLM 378: Sport, Power, and Inequality

In the News

The Unfathomable Inner Reality of Sports-Related Concussions - with Sam Morris

In recent years, concussions have gained more and more media attention. However, there is still so much we don’t know. So in this episode, we look at some of the work being done to explore the effects, the lasting repercussions, and the need to do more.

The Trouble With Mascots

School mascots can create a shared identity and foster a sense of loyalty among fans and communities. But some mascots, especially those that may be viewed as stereotypical or insensitive to cultural subgroups, can also cause controversy.

This issue recently caused a deep rift throughout a local school district in Ohio, where a debate around a Native American mascot became a fascinating story that touched upon moral psychology, the importance of local politics, and the ways in which other schools can navigate similar challenges.