Congratulations to Dr. Kaitrin Doll on successfully passing their PhD oral examination!

Congratulations to Dr. Kaitrin Doll on successfully passing their PhD oral examination! Here are some words from their supervisor, our very own Dr. Shelley Craig, on what makes their thesis and examination so special:

“I am very delighted to share a hearty congratulations to Kaitrin Doll for their successful final oral examination of their PhD dissertation titled: Reimagining Sport Through a Social Justice Lens: Sexual and Gender Diverse Experiences in Roller Derby.
Kaitrin’s dissertation explored the transformative role of roller derby (RD) as an affirming, community-driven sports space that fosters resilience, self-determination, and joy among sexually and gender-diverse (SGD) athletes. Amid a global rise in anti-gender/sexual orientation rhetoric and the erosion of rights for trans and gender diverse (TGD) communities, their study used constructivist grounded theory and multimodal methods, including semi-structured interviews, photo and video elicitation, to examine the experiences of SGD participants in RD. This research contributes to social work and sport studies by advancing a justice-oriented, resilience-based framework that reimagines sport as a site of political resistance and queer world-building. It proposes innovative methodologies and approaches for capturing embodied joy, and positions RD as a blueprint for creating inclusive, affirming, and activist-driven sporting spaces. Ultimately, this work shows that equity-seeking athletes are not simply seeking access to existing structures; they are reshaping sport itself to reflect their experiences, identities, and visions for a more equitable future.

Dr. Doll’s final oral examination was exemplary as they demonstrated their expertise and deep engagement in the innovative methods and multiple theories guiding their timely research. They were able to respond to committee members, including several leading experts in gender and sports research, with enthusiasm and insight. Both the dissertation and FOE were accepted ‘as is’; a clear indication of the exceptional work.”