Simran Kaur Sethi
Assistant Professor of Sport Leadership
Dr. Simran Kaur Sethi is an Assistant Professor of Sport Leadership in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She serves as a leading scholar and advocate for equity and inclusion of international college athletes (ICAs). Her research, teaching, and service are deeply informed by her own experiences as a former ICAs and professional tennis player, focusing on critical issues related to global sport systems, athlete migration, U.S. immigration policy, and equity and fairness in intercollegiate athletics.
Dr. Sethi’s scholarship is grounded in sport sociology, sport management, and critical sport labor migration studies, exploring themes such as (1) ICA career readiness and transitions out of sport, (2) Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) equity, (3) athlete labor exploitation, (4) institutional practices that shape access and inclusion for ICAs, and (5) immigration policy and its impact on athletes in collegiate and professional sports. Esteemed journals across diverse disciplines like sport sociology and sport management have published Dr. Sethi’s work, including International Review for the Sociology of Sport, Sport Education and Society, and Journal of Sport Management. She has also presented at premier academic conferences, such as the North American Society for Sport Management, American Educational Research Association, and North American Society for the Sociology of Sport. Her research has been supported by competitive national and institutional granting agencies such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and UNITE RPA at the University of Kentucky.
Dr. Sethi disseminates her research beyond academic venues through her consultancy with the NCAA Office of Inclusion, where she contributes her expertise on ICA equity and well-being. She has developed several resources like the ICA handbook, Action Steps for Athletic Departments, and Considerations for Athletic Administrators, and continues to inform their policies and practices. Dr. Sethi’s research has also been featured in several news outlets like The Conversation, Awful Announcing, Extra Points, and Global Sport Matters and informs legal firms and athletic organizations that advocate for ICA inclusive NIL policies at the federal level. She has also created and led trainings across the U.S. to inform athletic departments, sports organizations, and their stakeholders about ICA inclusion and career readiness.
Prior to joining the faculty at University of Kentucky, Dr. Sethi earned her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Oklahoma, where she also earned an M.Ed. in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration and a B.A. in Psychology (2015-2024). She also worked in academic and athlete development support for Oklahoma Athletics (2020-2022). She competed as a DI tennis player for the University of Oklahoma (2015-2018) and represented India as a professional tennis player in international events (2010-2016).