Julie Stevens

Dr. Julie Stevens is a Full Professor in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University's Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, where she has been a faculty member since 1999. She previously served as Director of the Centre for Sport Capacity from 2010-2024 and now serves as Past Director. Dr. Stevens also served as Special Advisor to the President – Canada Games from 2018-2023, leading academic innovation initiatives for the Brock University-2022 Niagara Canada Summer Games partnership.

Dr. Stevens' research focuses on transformation and system integration within sport systems, with over 35 years of scholarly work examining managerial perspectives on change in sport at local, provincial, national, and international levels. Her key research areas include women's hockey (historical, social, cultural, organizational, and global issues), the 'active economy' and value of sport to regional economic development, sport tourism models, and safe sport practices. She takes an interdisciplinary approach that connects sport with other industries and sectors, exploring how sport functions as an economic driver across multiple business domains.

Her scholarly work demonstrates a strong trend toward practical application and knowledge mobilization, with increasing focus on the intersection of sport with economic development, tourism, and community building. Recent publications show expansion into the concept of the "active economy" that encompasses sport, recreation, and tourism as interconnected economic drivers, alongside continued deep engagement with hockey research from historical and organizational perspectives.

Dr. Stevens has received several notable recognitions including the 2022 Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Research Excellence Award and the 2020 Outstanding Co-op Supervisor Recognition Award at Brock University, and was named a Research Fellow by the North American Society for Sport Management in 2013. She has also been recognized internationally as a Visiting International Scholar at the University of West Indies (2025) and Linnaeus University in Sweden (2013-2014).

Dr. Stevens maintains an active research program supported by diverse funding sources including Global Affairs Canada, the Niagara Parks Commission, the Regional Municipality of Niagara, and multiple internal Brock University grants. She is particularly known for the Sport Oral History Archive (SOHA), a digital, open-access collection preserving oral histories related to the Canada Games, Garden City Arena, and Niagara-on-the-Lake Tennis Club. Her work emphasizes practical application of research to support sport organizations and communities, with strong focus on knowledge mobilization and community engagement.

Dr. Stevens leads the Sport Oral History Archive initiative and has established herself as a key figure in the Centre for Sport Capacity, which serves as a hub for research, student experiential learning, and practical support to sport organizations. She continues to actively collaborate with international sport organizations including the International Ice Hockey Federation and has worked with the Hungarian Hockey Federation to launch new international competitions.