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The Center for Sport Leadership at VCU is proud to announce Yannick Kluch, Ph.D. has been hired as Assistant Professor and Director of Outreach and Inclusive Excellence. Kluch will join the CSL faculty in August for the 2021-2022 academic year.
A native of Hamburg, Germany, Dr. Kluch is regarded as a leading expert in diversity and inclusion in global sport. He has worked with sport organizations such as the NCAA, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, USA Diving, Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association, and countless athletic departments across the country to drive inclusive excellence through the power of sport. Dr. Kluch currently serves on the inaugural Team USA Council on Racial & Social Justice alongside 40 Team USA athletes, where he is advising the Council’s steering committee on athlete protests and demonstrations.
“Sport is such a big platform to drive social change. I hope I can work with students and alumni in centering social justice in the work we do,” said Kluch, who comes to VCU from Rowan University in New Jersey.
“Yannick’s scholarly focus around diversity and inclusion is a fantastic addition to the work we are already doing, and his expertise will help us further highlight these critical issues that have become central topics in the sport industry,” said Carrie LeCrom, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Sport Leadership.
Dr. Kluch worked with the NCAA Office of Inclusion after earning his Ph.D. from Bowling Green University in 2018. At Bowling Green, he founded We Are One Team (WA1T), a first-of-its-kind initiative that utilizes sport to promote diversity, inclusion, and social justice on American college campuses.
Among Dr. Kluch's research collaborators is Dr. Tomika Ferguson, Interim Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence for VCU's School of Education.
"Yannick is passionate about using his scholarship to enhance the college student-athlete experience, within the U.S. and internationally,” said Dr. Ferguson. “The work that he leads impacts policy, raises expectations of how we can better support student-athletes at the collegiate level, and the depth of his partnerships demonstrates his commitment to being an inclusive and equitable leader. He will be an excellent mentor and teacher for the students at VCU, in ways that I believe can expand what is already done and create new synergy around CSL."
Dr. Kluch will instruct classes both on campus and online for the CSL as well as coordinator the program Graduate Assistantship Program, which secures real-world experience for each full-time student while they are enrolled.