The center’s new name reflects an expanded focus on using sport administration to empower communities, advance opportunity and drive positive change.
ATLANTA—As Atlanta commemorates the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Georgia State University's College of Education & Human Development has rebranded the Center for Sport and Urban Policy as the Center of Empowerment through Sport Administration (CESA), reflecting an expanded focus on how sport leaders and organizations can create positive change for individuals, communities and society.
Originally established in 2016 during the 20th anniversary of the Atlanta Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Center for Sport and Urban Policy has spent the last decade serving as a forum for scholarship examining the role of sport in urban communities. The transition to CESA builds on that foundation while reflecting the center's evolving research agenda focused on empowerment through sport administration, leadership, management and policy.
"When the Center for Sport and Urban Policy was established in 2016, we sought to explore the role of sport within urban communities, mirroring the lasting impact of Atlanta's Olympic legacy," said Professor Beth Cianfrone, co-director of CESA and the sport administration graduate program coordinator. "Ten years later, our scholarship has expanded to focus more specifically on how sport administrators, leaders and organizations foster empowerment. Rebranding as the Center of Empowerment through Sport Administration better reflects both our research and our vision for the future."
Through interdisciplinary research, strategic partnerships and student mentorship, CESA seeks to advance understanding of sport's role as a catalyst for change. The center, housed in the college’s Department of Kinesiology and Health, focuses on the impact of sport administration in several areas, including labor relations, mental health, branding, inclusion and community development. By connecting scholarship with practice, CESA aims to inform decision-making across the sport industry while supporting organizations committed to positive social impact.
CESA is co-directed by Cianfrone and Assistant Professor Lauren Beasley, both of whom are widely published scholars and active researchers who bring extensive expertise in sport administration alongside deeply rooted partnerships across the Atlanta sport community. The center’s core faculty team includes Assistant Professor Tyler Skinner, Clinical Assistant Professor Konadu Gyamfi and Clinical Assistant Professor Nick Swim, supported by a growing network of affiliate faculty members.
"Sport, when leveraged in positive and healthy ways, has the power to transform," Beasley said. "CESA is committed to advancing research that helps sport organizations, leaders and communities use that power to promote lasting impact."
As the city reflects on the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games that brought the world to Atlanta in 1996, CESA will examine how sport leaders and organizations can empower individuals, strengthen communities and drive meaningful social change.
About the Sport Administration Program
The sport administration program is housed in the College of Education & Human Development’s Department of Kinesiology and Health and offers three degree options: Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Sport Administration, Master of Science in Sport Administration and Ph.D. in Kinesiology with a specialization in sport administration. The master’s program is an internationally ranked program with more than 40 years of experience preparing graduates for careers in the sport industry.