The first of its kind in the world, the Tucker Center is an interdisciplinary research center leading a pioneering effort to examine how sport and physical activity affect the lives of girls and women, their families, and communities.
The Tucker Center has three equal and interrelated goals:
Collaborative research: Our affiliated scholars work as interdisciplinary research teams focused on cutting-edge issues, challenges, and opportunities within sports contexts.
Research that counts: We focus on scholarship that directly impacts the physical activity experience of and for girls and women. Our research examines how sport and physical activity improve girls’ and women’ psycho-social and physical health throughout their lives—promoting girls’ self-confidence, preventing eating disorders, or helping women stay healthy as they age.
Education: Community outreach, civic engagement, and mentoring students are important components of the Tucker Center. We sponsor a Distinguished Lecture Series in which nationally recognized scholars and educators share their findings and insights with policymakers, students, and families. We also serve as a resource center for private and public organizations, educational institutions, media outlets, and the general public.