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Stella Leivadi

Management

BSc, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Physical Education and Sport Science; MA in Sport Studies, University of Connecticut; PhD in Sport, Leisure and Exercise Sciences, University of Connecticut

Dr. Stella Leivadi is an Associate Professor and Sports Management Program Coordinator at the American College of Greece. She also serves as a Fellow in the Center of Excellence for Food, Tourism, and Leisure. Holding an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut, she began her academic career as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at Middle Tennessee State University at just 28. Dr. Leivadi has held faculty roles at U.S. institutions like the University of Miami and Florida International University and contributed to research initiatives such as the University of Miami School of Medicine.

In Greece, she has collaborated with UK-affiliated programs and served at the University of Peloponnese and Hellenic Open University. Her research focuses on leisure behavior, sport tourism, and quality of life. She has played pivotal roles in organizing global sports events, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games from Athens 2004 to Paris 2024.

Selected Publications

  • Tzoumaka, E., Kolyperas, D., Leivadi, S. (2024). Integrity and digital sustainability in eSports. In Manoli, A.E. & Konstantopoulos, I. (Eds.). Integrity and Sustainability in Sport (pp. 132-145). Routledge. doi.org/10.4324/9781003453147
  • Tzoumaka, E., Leivadi, S., Kaplanidou, K. (2024). Sport Tourism in the VUCA Era: The Effect of Destination Image on Behavioral Intentions of Active Sport Tourists. In: Zarkada, A. (Ed.), Marketing Solutions to the Challenges of a VUCA Environment. GMA-GAMMA 2023. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Springer, Cham. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-58429-9_4
  • Leivadi, S., & Tzoumaka, E. (2021). Διεθνείς Αθλητικοί Οργανισμοί και Εθνικές Ομοσπονδίες [International and National Sport Organizations]. In N. Theodorakis (Ed.). Αθλητική Βιομηχανία: Οργανισμοί, Επιχειρήσεις και Υπηρεσίες [Sport Industry: Organizations, Business, Activities and Human Resources]. Broken Hill Publishers, LTD. ISBN 978-992-558-810-7
  • Tzoumaka, E., & Leivadi, S. (2021). Investigating the Impact of the Sport Event Destination Image on Consumer Outcomes of Active Sport Tourists. In S. Sarmaniotis (Ed.). 9th International (Virtual) Conference on Contemporary Marketing Issues (ICCMI). ISBN: 978-618-5630-00-3 https://iccmi2021.org/wp-content/uploads/ICCMI_2021_Conference_Proceedings.pdf
  • Leivadi, S., & Tzoumaka, E. (2022, September). The Authentic Marathon Swim: Understanding Swimmers’ Experiences and Behavior in a Small-Scale Sport Tourism Event. In International Conference of the International Association of Cultural and Digital Tourism (pp. 571-585). Cham: Springer International Publishing.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26829-8_36
  • Tzoumaka, E., Leivadi, S. & Kaplanidou, K. (2022). Recurring Rural Destination Sport Events: A Study on Participants’ Direct Spending. International Journal of Financial Studies, 10(3), 1-16. doi.org/10.3390/ijfs10030078
  • Kyrousi, A., Tzoumaka, E. & Leivadi, S. (2022). Business employability for late millennials: exploring the perceptions of generation Z students and generation X faculty. Management Research Review, 45(4), 664-683. doi.org/10.1108/MRR-04-2021-0328
  • Gaitanakis L. & Leivadi S. (2020). Focusing on Resort Sport Tourism Development: The Case of Costa Navarino. In: V. Katsoni & T. Spyriadis (Eds.), Cultural and Tourism Innovation in the Digital Era. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer International Publishing. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36342-0_39
  • Gaitanakis, L., Vrondou, O. & Leivadi, S. (2019). Central Government Tourism Policy and the Development of Sports Tourism in Mass Tourism Areas: The Case of Crete. In V. Katsoni & M. Segarra-Oña (Eds.), Smart Tourism as a Driver for Culture and Sustainability. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer International Publishing. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03910-3_32content, process, engagement model for key performance indicators. Behaviour & Information Technology, 37(10–11), 1129–1141.