2022 Rising Alumni: Madeleine Orr
Dr. Madeleine Orr is the Founder and Co-Director of the Sport Ecology Group and a Lecturer in the Institute of Sport Business at Loughborough University London. Her research focuses on the relationship between sport and the natural environment with special attention to climate change, risk, adaptation, sustainability, and just transitions to more inclusive and sustainable futures.
Employer
Founder and Co-Director at the Sport Ecology Group
CEHD Degree
PhD, Kinesiology
What professor(s) or course(s) were most influential during your time in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)?
I never took a class with her, but Dr. Nicole LaVoi was a big influence in my early academic career. She was proof that it's possible to work in academia and make a tangible impact on the sports sector in real time. She also once gave me great advice for giving radio and tv interviews, which I now use on a regular basis. (Thanks, Dr. LaVoi! #DisruptHER)
What skills are important to succeed as an emerging professional today?
My early career has been all about collaboration and communication skills. It's hard to get things done alone, so building productive community has been a big part of my work and can be done with open and honest communication, and the ability to find and pursue common goals with collaborators. But you also need to learn how to write (your professors are right about this.)
When you have 30 minutes of free time, what do you do?
With 30 minutes of free time, I'm usually reading a book or going for a walk. I aim to read 52 books per year that have nothing to do with my work, just to stretch my imagination and learn about different things. It's helped me to stay creative and avoid getting too narrow in my thinking through grad school - and I've kept it up ever since. Now that I'm living in London, the other good option is always just to go for a walk. There's history and art and culture on every corner of the city, and it's a joy to explore.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Prime Minister of Canada