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LYNDSAY HAYHURST
Teresa Hill, PhD, is an equity-driven researcher and educator with goals of advancing inclusive, community-based research. Her academic training and research program encompasses an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on the fields of sociology of sport, child and youth studies, public health, leisure, cultural geography, feminist, and spatial studies. Teresa’s work is grounded in ethical, anti-oppressive, and community-engaged research that centers the lived experiences of equity-owed populations, particularly children and youth affected by poverty, homelessness, and systemic marginalization.
Julia is currently conducting her doctoral research in Kinesiology and Health Science. Her research interests include trauma-and violence-informed approaches to policy & practice, sport for development, gender equity & diversity, sexual and reproductive health & gender-based violence prevention in/through SFD, and participatory action research. Julia's academic background includes an Honours degree in Health Science, with minors in Biology, Chemistry, and Psychology. She subsequently earned a Master's degree in Kinesiology and Health Science, where she received comprehensive training in physical cultural studies, as well as statistical and qualitative research methods. Julia completed her MSc project on the utility of a trauma-and violence-informed approach in sport for development.
Jess (they/them) is a PhD student at York University, studying under the supervision of Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst. Jess’ research interests include decolonial methodologies, arts-based methods, physical culture, and mobility justice. Currently, Jess is working on the SSHRC-funded Bicycles for Development grant to explore how racialized and queer communities in Toronto use bicycles to survive and resist state violence.
Jumana Waez (she/her) is a PhD student in Kinesiology and Health Science at York University, supervised by Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst. Her research interests include sport-for-development, diversity and inclusion in sport, youth development, community-based research, and decolonial methodologies. Currently, her research focuses on newcomer girls’ resettlement experiences in Canada, exploring how sport can foster social integration, wellbeing, and belonging through trauma-informed and culturally-sensitive approaches. Jumana holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management and Leadership, where she examined barriers to sport participation for newcomer girls, and continues to advance community-based approaches and knowledge mobilization to promote equity and inclusion in sport.
Marika (she/her) is a PhD student at York University, under the co-supervision of Drs. Parissa Safai and Lyndsay Hayhurst. Her research focuses on sexual and gender-based violence prevention in high-performance sports, reflecting her dedication to ensuring sports are safe, equitable, and accessible. Her work employs decolonial methodology, feminist theory, and a social justice framework. As a former varsity volleyball athlete, Marika leverages her passion for athletics to contribute to violence prevention programs and policy development. She earned her MA in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto and holds a BA in Sociology from Mount Allison University. Marika remains committed to advancing community development within sports and athletics through her ongoing work and research contributions.
Emma Bowen (she/her) is completing her MA in Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies and beginning her MA in Kinesiology and Health Science at York University, both under the supervision of Dr. Hayhurst. Emma also previously completed her BSc in Kinesiology and Health Science at York. Her interdisciplinary background informs her work as she investigates girls, young women and non-binary youth’s engagement with organized sport and community recreation in Canada. Specifically, her research involves critically examining this population’s choice not to, or refusal to, participate in sport. Furthermore, through this work Emma hopes to explore what (non-)participation can tell us about existing sport structures as well as how these perspectives can help inform more equitable futures in sport.
Emma simultaneously works as a research assistant on multiple of Dr. Hayhurst’s ongoing projects, which has developed her research and knowledge mobilization skills, exposed her to global perspectives, and facilitated collaboration with peers in the same field of study. Additionally, her experience as a varsity athlete, youth coach, and coach of athletes with disabilities, offers her a unique perspective into the realities of the systemic barriers within sport that disproportionality affect marginalized groups. Her goal is to contribute to making organized sport and community recreation more accessible, inclusive and equitable so that everyone can experience the social, cultural, psychological and physical benefits that sports can provide.
Melaine Degefu is a third-year undergraduate student in the Kinesiology and Health Science program at York University. Melaine is passionate about health, science, and community engagement, with a particular interest in advancing equity through research and advocacy. Melaine serves as a Research Assistant in the DREAMING IN SPORT Lab, where her research focuses on mobility justice within marginalized communities and issues related to access/participation in sport for Black girls.
Emerald received her MA in Kinesiology and Health Studies at York University in 2021, working with Dr. Hayhurst. Her research interests explore the intersections of sport for development, community health and postcolonial feminism in the Philippines. Specifically, Emerald conducted participatory action research with a sport for development NGO in Siargao. Her MA research was supported by the David Wurfel Award through the York Centre for Asian Research. She is now a Manager of Research and Evaluation at Visions of Science.
Isra Iqbal is a PhD student in the School of Kinesiology at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Her research interests include sport for development and peace (SDP), safe sport initiatives, the sociology of sports science, policy and advocacy, international development, and exploring the dynamic nature of sport and its impact on women, children and youth globally. Her MSc thesis explored the implementation (or lack of) ‘safe sport’ policies within sport for development (SFD) organizations that operated child and youth-based programming within global South contexts. Isra hopes to venture and explore various other domains of this field including the sociology of sports medicine and rehabilitative practices through integrated approaches of biomedical and sociological models.
Kelvin received his MA in 2019. His research explored the roles of Sport for Development (SDP) stakeholders in Norway on SDP policy development, implementation and evaluation, in addition to the ways in which SDP programmes are taken up, resisted, and/or reshaped at the local level. He pursued a graduate exchange to the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences during his data collection. Kelvin has co-authored several publications, including in Sport Management Review; and presented his work at a number of international and national conferences, including the International Sociological Association. Overall, his studies are situated at the intersection of his passion for social justice and the sport of judo, and he aspires to continue to take part in the ongoing discussion of the inclusion of sport in the realm of international development. Kelvin is now an officer with Toronto Police Services.
Dr. Mitchell McSweeney (he/him) is an assistant professor in Sport Management at the University of Minnesota. His research agenda focuses on social entrepreneurship, innovation, sport for development, and livelihoods, and he often utilizes postcolonial theory, institutional theory, and diaspora to critically investigate these areas.
Tayler Sinclair received her MA in International Development from York University in 2023 and she currently works as a Holistic Intake & System Navigation Counsellor at The Neighbourhood Organization. Having interned in the humanitarian and development space, this has informed her perspective on issues including gender equality, refugee resettlement, trauma- and violence-informed approaches and sport for development. Through her own research on Caribbean immigrant women, she is exploring the intersections of health, well-being, social support and time poverty.
York University, Faculty of Health - School of Kinesiology & Health Science
Norman Bethune College - BC, Keele Campus
https://health.yorku.ca/health-profiles/
https://bicyclesfordevelopment.ca/
Email: lhayhurs(AT)yorku.ca
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