DrKatherine Raw

Dr Katherine Raw is a Senior Lecturer in Sport Management within Deakin Business School. From 2025 to 2028, she is primarily working as a Senior Research Fellow within the Play Well Research Unit, co-funded through a partnership with the Australian Sports Commission. Katherine’s research lies at the intersection of the development of sport and sport for development, drawing from both domains to drive innovation and leverage sport as a transformative tool for broader societal change. Her work explores how sport can deliver meaningful social impact through the management, design, and evaluation of initiatives that foster inclusion, diversity, and social cohesion. She also examines how sport organisations can balance performance and social objectives while meeting growing expectations for professionalisation in governance, operations, and management. Katherine has extensive experience leading and collaborating on projects with national and international partners; including the Australian Sports Commission, Tennis Australia, the National Rugby League, Netball Australia, North Melbourne Football Club, and the Commonwealth Secretariat; with fieldwork spanning Australia, the Pacific, and Southeast Asia. Her contributions have been recognised through multiple awards, including the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand’s Best Paper and Industry Engagement awards.