Elizabeth Pike

Elizabeth has worked at the University of Hertfordshire since August 2017, where she is Professor and Head of Sport, Health and Exercise.

In addition to the work that she does at Hertfordshire, she has also been an invited speaker at many Universities and conferences both in the UK and abroad.  In the past five years, she has published more than 20 research papers largely related to social inclusion and sport, including a commissioned report on the international progress for women and sport.

Elizabeth serves on the editorial board of the journals Leisure Studies and the International Review for the Sociology of Sport.

She is the past President, and member of the executive board, of the International Sociology of Sport Association.

Main areas of research interest:

• Sociology of sport
• Ageing, sport and physical activity
• Women and sport
• Experiences of outdoor adventurous activities and play
• The contribution of the work of Erving Goffman to a sociological understanding of sport

Elizabeth has supervised 5 PhD students to completion, currently supervises 3 doctoral candidates and has examined 14 research degrees.

Major teaching areas:

• Sociology of sport
• Sport development
• Sport in an international context
• Qualitative research methods

Elizabeth is:

• Co-founder of the Anita White Foundation, and the Women's Sport Leadership Academy
• Past-president and Executive Board member of the International Sociology of Sport Association
• Co-author of numerous reports evaluating progress for women and sport, sport and disability organisations, and physical activity provision for young people