 | Experience:
1991 Inductee
|
| Award:
George Wibby Award
|
|
One of the driving forces behind the success of the National Invitational Soccer Tournament, now called the Marriot Soccer Classic, has been Joel Russell. For his work on the tournament committee, he is being honored with the George Wibby Award.
Now in his 24th year at Oakland University, Joel has been involved with the soccer tournament since its inception. Joel has run the youth portion of the soccer tournament, which has helped to insure the success of the tournament both financially and in attendance. The youth tournament has brought almost 2,000 young soccer players and their families to the Oakland campus, certifying the tournament as the premier soccer weekend in the state.
A professor of chemistry at Oakland, Joel has also spent four years as the interim Dean of Health Sciences and another year as the interim Graduate Dean. He has also been active for several years in the Association of University Professors as a board member and a negotiator. He received a B.A. from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkley.
Joel and his wife, Christine, have been active in the Michigan soccer community for several years. Joel is currently President of the board of Michigan Youth Soccer League, and he and Christine served as tutors for the United States under-16 soccer team that played in Trinidad.
Joel and Christine live in Rochester Hills and have five children-daughters Andrea, Theresa and Natalie, and sons Joel, and Ethan.
