معرفی
Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel is an Assistant Professor of Global Leadership Studies and Honors at Belmont University. She was awarded the 2022 Tennessee History Book Award for her work documenting women’s contributions to athletics and Title IX advocacy. Her research focuses on gender equity, sports history, and Tennessee’s cultural legacy.
Dr. Pethel’s book Title IX, Pat Summitt, and the Tennessee Trailblazers: 50 Years, 50 Stories highlights 50 female athletes who shaped women’s sports in Tennessee and the U.S. Published by the University of Tennessee Press, the book blends oral histories and archival research to explore pre- and post-Title IX eras. She is also author of Athens of the New South: College Life and the Making of Modern Nashville.
- Awards: 2022 Tennessee History Book Award
- Current Projects: Writing a biography of Sarah Cannon (Minnie Pearl)
Her work emphasizes the intersection of education and sport as catalysts for social change, advocating for continued equity efforts in athletics and academia.
