Lucia and her co-researcher, Mila Padgett of USC Aiken, are examining the gaps of how men and women perceive allyship in the workplace.
Cara Lucia, associate professor and chair in the Department of Sport Management, received a $5,000 grant from NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation for her research project, “Exhibiting Allyship for RecHers.” NIRSA research grants support original, scholarly research that advance the knowledge base and practices within the field of collegiate recreation. In collaboration with Mila Padgett, director of campus recreation and wellness at USC Aiken, Lucia will interview approximately 30 male-identifying professionals working in campus recreation during the next year.
In Lucia and Padgett’s previous research published in 2021, titled “Passage through the Leadership Labyrinth: Women’s Journey in Collegiate Recreation,” results indicated the importance of administrators addressing organizational values for structural changes that not only support the needs of men but also of women. Lucia and Padgett have found that women need department supervisors and association leaders to be mentors and allies who provide accessible opportunities to enhance the development of their human capital. According to the researchers, it is vital for collegiate recreation leaders to pay attention to the various experiences had by women in the field while also supporting how women navigate their experience. There is a responsibility to understand the complexities to better serve, develop and mentor women.
Lucia and Padgett are diving deeper to understand the gaps of how men and women perceive allyship in the workplace. The two researchers believe there is a need to hear the voices of men and share voices of how men are exhibiting allyship in the workplace. Lucia and Padgett consider this to be a key to continued change in work environments.
The phenomenological study is grounded in the Integrating Women Leaders (IWL) Foundation’s five-point allyship continuum and the BeCOME framework to explore why allyship is an important piece of positively influencing a women’s professional life within the collegiate recreation profession and beyond. Lucia and Padgett began interviews this fall and will continue throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.
Lucia has more than two decades of experience in collegiate recreation and higher education, and served as NIRSA’s president from May 2021 to April 2022. In spring 2023, NIRSA recognized Lucia with its annual group service award acknowledging her exceptional leadership and dedication to justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.