معرفی
Dr. Stacy Warner is a Professor of Sport Management in the Recreation Sciences and Sport Management department within the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University. She serves as the graduate coordinator for the MS in Sport Management program (since 2017) and is the founding Director of the Sport and Community Development Lab (established 2022). Dr. Warner also serves on East Carolina's University Athletics Committee as the Chancellor's appointee (2014-2016; 2021-present) and maintains research collaborations with the American Athletic Conference and Special Olympics.
Dr. Warner earned her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, her master's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, and was a former student-athlete at Lock Haven University where she also completed an NCAA postgraduate internship. Her academic journey reflects her commitment to both scholarly excellence and practical application in the sport industry.
Dr. Warner's research primarily focuses on organizational structures that optimize community building and development in sports contexts to improve life quality for participants, employees, and fans. She is one of the most highly cited 'community building' and 'sense of community' researchers. Her work spans several interconnected areas including mental health in sports, youth sports development, sports officiating, and sport for community development. She examines how sports can foster social connections, support mental wellbeing, and create inclusive environments across various sport contexts from campus recreation to professional sport. Her recent publications increasingly address mental health issues, intergenerational connections through sports like pickleball, and inclusive programming for diverse populations.
Dr. Warner has authored 63 peer-reviewed publications, with over one-third appearing in the top three sport management journals. Her work demonstrates a consistent focus on community dynamics within sport settings, with increasing attention to mental health issues, inclusivity, and the application of sport for broader social development purposes. Her research shows strong methodological diversity, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine community building in sport contexts.
Dr. Warner has received numerous prestigious awards for her work:
- NASSM Research Fellow (2013)
- NASSM Sport Management Education Fellow Award
- ECU's Honors College Mentor of the Year (2020)
- ECU's International Teaching Award (2021)
- ECU's Achievement in International Service and Engagement Award (2023)
- U.S. Delegate for State Department Sport Diplomacy Exchange to Tunisia (2019)
- U.S. Delegate for State Department Sport Diplomacy Exchange to Uzbekistan (2023)
- College Sport Research Institute (CSRI) Research Fellow
As graduate coordinator for the MS in Sport Management program and director of the Sport and Community Development Lab, Dr. Warner mentors numerous students through research projects and experiential learning opportunities. Her lab focuses on creating community through sport, with current projects examining pickleball's intergenerational benefits, student referee experiences, and mental health in sports. Students have opportunities to participate in major sporting events like the Super Bowl for research purposes and to collaborate on international projects through Sport Diplomacy Exchanges. Dr. Warner has served as Principal Investigator on 19 grants totaling $234,066, with 12 funded projects between 2018-2023, demonstrating strong research funding success.
Dr. Warner founded the Sport and Community Development Lab in 2022, which serves as a hub for research on how sports can build stronger communities. The lab conducts research on topics including sport officiating, mental health in sports, youth sports development, and inclusive sport programming. Current projects examine pickleball's role in intergenerational connection, student referee experiences, and mental health support systems in athletic contexts. The lab emphasizes community-engaged research that addresses real-world challenges in sport settings while providing valuable learning experiences for students.
