Our Alumni

Elizabeth Eichler completed her Master’s in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science in 2018, guided by a curiosity around dance’s social and psychological benefits for people with disabilities. During the program, she was supervised, supported, and guided by Prof. Parissa Safai, and Drs. Rebecca Bassett-Gunter and Celina Shirazipour, who aided in her research exploring Dance Movement Therapy as a quality physical activity for people with Parkinson’s Disease. After graduating, Elizabeth pursued a career in the mental health field, where she is currently working as a psychotherapist, finding her passion in helping those struggling.

Under the supervision of Dr. Yuka Nakamura, Hadeth Rassol completed her Master’s thesis on the negotiation process of identity, belonging, and feelings of citizenship for Muslim Canadians participating in a community- and religion-based sport organization, namely, the Umoja Soccer Tournament. More specifically, feelings and experiences around idealized narratives of acceptability within the nation (e.g., ‘model minority’ and the ‘good Muslim’) were examined to better understand how these common Othering narratives are experienced by Canadian Muslims and in turn, shape their sporting experience and participation. Most importantly, this study aimed to highlight Canadian Muslim voices and allow individuals to share their experiences of negotiating being Canadian and Muslim in today’s political and social climate.

Dr. Alix Krahn (she/her) is feminist sport scholar whose research examines the sport-work-gender nexus in sport coaching. Under the supervision of Prof. Parissa Safai, her doctoral study used feminist political economy (FPE) to examine sport coaching as work within the context of university sport, with an emphasis on the gendered and gendering nature of sport coaching work and the fraught sport coaching professional project in Canada. She has published in leading journals and edited collections including the Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, the Routledge Handbook of Athlete Welfare, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, and the forthcoming Handbook of Gender and Diversity in Sport Management. Alix is currently working as a Postdoctoral Visitor at York University and is an assistant coach with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues program. Most recently, she was a head coach at the 2022 Canada Summer Games for Team Manitoba, where her team captured a gold in women’s volleyball.

Under the supervision of Yuka Nakamura, Joyce Magat’s research focused on the social construction of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in sport. In 2020, she was accepted into medical school abroad and completed one year before realizing it was not where she wanted to be. She is currently enrolled at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in pursuit of a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Her hope is to integrate her passion for helping others and for health and well-being into her future professional practice. 

Dr. Emily McCullogh (she/her) is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University where she also completed her doctorate in April 2020. Under the supervision of Prof. Parissa Safai, her doctoral work examined the experiences of care and caring in youth competitive sport through a socio-philosophical lens. As a qualitative researcher, her postdoctoral work focuses on injury prevention, health, and the built environment. However, she continues to engage with sport community, both academically and professionally, by advancing care-centred ethics and ethical behaviours in sport and sport coaching. Her scholarship has been featured in the Routledge Handbook of Athlete Welfare, the International Journal for Sport Policy and Politics, and Journal of Transport & Health.

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, forced migration, and livelihoods. He often utilizes postcolonial theory, institutional theory, and diaspora to critically investigate these areas, using participatory action research methodologies in order to conduct collaborative and reciprocative research with individuals, groups, local organizations, and communities. Mitch completed his PhD at York University under the advisory of Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst and Prof. Parissa Safai. In 2022, he received the Journal of Sport for Development Early Career Scholar Award. Mitch has also published in leading sport management and sociology of sport journals, including Sport Management Review, Sociology of Sport, Journal of Sport Management, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, and Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise, and Health. 

Dr. Cheryl Pritlove received her PhD in 2016 from the School of Kinesiology and Health Science (supervised by Prof. Parissa Safai) and is currently a Research Scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital and Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Dr. Pritlove is a critical qualitative methodologist, feminist political economist, and health services researcher, with expertise in patient and community engagement, patient-centered care research, EDI, critical social theories, and knowledge translation. Dr. Pritlove has published over 20 peer-reviewed publications, including first authored papers in top-ranking journals like The Lancet. Her research has informed provincial policy decisions around health technology coverage on grounds of equitable access, and has received international attention and media coverage, including invited talks at Harvard University and International Summits as well as an invitation to sit on a European Steering Committee for innovations in patient-centered care.

Tayler Sinclair completed her Master’s in the Development Studies program at York University under the supervision of Dr. Lyndsay Hayhurst from the School of Kinesiology and Health Science. Her internship in the humanitarian and development space informed her perspectives on such issues as gender equality, refugee resettlement, and trauma- and violence-informed approaches. During her studies, she was a Research Assistant for Dr. Hayhurst in The DREAMING in Sport Lab exploring sport, gender and development, physical cultural studies, sport for social justice, and health and human rights. Through her own research on Caribbean immigrant women in Ontario, Tayler explored the intersections of health, well-being, social support and time poverty.

John Vlahos completed his Master’s in the socio-cultural stream under the supervision of Prof. Parissa Safai in 2011. His thesis employed qualitative methods to collect data on and to analyze perceptions of risk, competition and identity among endurance race participants competing in the Tough Mudder series. Sport remains John’s passion and, following his MA, he acquired a Master of Advanced Studies in Sport Administration and Technology theInternational Academy of Sport Science and Technology (AISTS).  He is currently working in sport event organization and management with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and will serve as the team services lead for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.