Warner selected for Walker Professorship
The East Carolina University College of Health and Human Performance is proud to announce that Dr. Stacy Warner, a scholar in the discipline of sport studies and sport management, has been selected for the esteemed Dr. Leroy T. Walker Professorship. This honor recognizes Warner’s productivity in research, teaching and service to date, as well as her capacity to continue to make a positive impact through her scholarly activities.
Dr. Stacy Warner with Special Olympics representatives from Peru in Greenville.
Warner’s career at ECU began in 2010, and she has consistently and effectively served and mentored our students while gaining accolades as an expert and international leader in sport management research. Warner, who is founder and director of the ECU Sport & Community Development Lab, is one of the most highly cited researchers on “community building” and “sense of community” with 2,989 citations and h-index of 28. Her research record ranks among the top-10 scholars in the U.S. who have contributed to top-tier sport management research as she has been successful in securing external funding, with 22 grants supporting community engaged outcomes.
As an advocate globally for education through sport, she has led study abroad programs, in 12 countries, and been recognized by ECU with the Achievement in International Service and Engagement Award (2024) and Achievement in International Teaching Award (2020). Warner has served as a U.S. delegate for sport diplomacy with the U.S. Department of State in exchanges to Tunisia and to Uzbekistan. Currently as a prime example of interdisciplinary approach to research and service, Warner helped the ECU Sport & Community Development Lab partner with the Special Olympics for a two-way exchange with Peru to bring together international and U.S. delegates committed to building relationships and promoting the right of sport for all.
The Dr. Leroy T. Walker Distinguished Professorship Program in the College of Health and Human Performance (HHP) honors the late Dr. Leroy T. Walker, a beloved coach of track and field and former chancellor at North Carolina Central University. Walker served as a coach for the United States Olympic Track and Field team and was the first Black president of the United States Olympic Committee, from 1992-96. In all of Walker’s roles, he advocated for inclusion and inspired generations of students, athletes, coaches and sport administrators to succeed in meeting their dreams. This professorship program supports three awards that are intended to support faculty members that embody the character, ethical demeanor and vision of Walker, as well as those who demonstrate excellence in teaching/mentoring of students, consistency in leading sponsored programs and effectiveness in maintaining relationships that benefit the HHP community and its constituents.
As part of the Dr. Leroy T. Walker Professorship designation, Warner will facilitate and promote interdisciplinary research, innovative approaches to instruction and serve as a resource for others from a developmental and holistic perspective. She also will engage and collaborate with campus leaders, community members, local, national and international agencies and organizations, share supportive work with academic, professional and public audiences, and participate in outreach relevant to the professorship.