Kyle Bunds

Kyle Bunds is an Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources. His work bridges sport studies and environmental sustainability, focusing on intersections between sport infrastructure, water resources, and policy. He leads research on air quality at sport events and co-edits the Journal of Amateur Sport. Notable projects include the GAPS for Hi-Tech Teens initiative and studies on hydraulic fracturing impacts on public parks.

Education: PhD (Sport Management, Florida State University), M.Ed. (Athletic Administration, University of Oklahoma), B.A. (History, University of Oklahoma). Current research emphasizes sustainable solutions for environmental crises, political economies of sport development, and water-related charity initiatives. His book Sport, Politics and the Charity Industry: Running for Water is under contract with Routledge.

• Grants: Co-PI on $175k+ geospatial education program; led studies on air pollution at college stadiums.
• Key collaborations: NC State Sustainability Fund, Wellcome Burroughs Foundation.
• Publications span journals like Sport in Society and Journal of Sport Management, with focus on sport’s environmental footprint.

Advocates for equitable development through sport, examining how policy decisions impact communities and the environment.