Esther Larson McGinnis Scholar Lecture with Dr. Dawn Anderson Butcher
The School of Kinesiology and Recreation at Illinois State University is proud to host the Esther Larson McGinnis Scholar Lecture, featuring Dr. Dawn Anderson-Butcher of The Ohio State University, on October 29, 2025, in the Bone Student Center (Brown Ballroom III). The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 PM, followed by Dr. Anderson-Butcher’s lecture, “More Than Sport,” at 6:00 PM.
Dr. Anderson-Butcher is a professor of social work with an affiliation in human sciences (kinesiology) at The Ohio State University, where she co-leads LiFEsports and directs the Community and Youth Collaborative Institute. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker in Ohio and holds the Certified Mental Performance Consultant credential through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.
A leading scholar in youth sport research, Dr. Anderson-Butcher co-authored the nation’s first National Coach Survey in partnership with Nike, Aspen’s Project Play, and the Susan Crown Exchange’s Million Coaches Challenge. Through LiFEsports, more than 800 young people across central Ohio develop leadership and life skills through sport each year. She also helps lead Coach Beyond, a statewide initiative to improve school- and community-based sport experiences in Ohio, in partnership with the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA).
Over the course of her career, Dr. Anderson-Butcher has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and has generated over 20 million dollars in external funding. She is a Fellow of both the National Academy of Kinesiology and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare and Research, as well as a Research Fellow in the Society of Health and Physical Educators and the Society of Social Work Researchers. A former collegiate soccer player, she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Miami University, before completing her master’s in social work and PhD in sport psychology at the University of Utah.
This event is open to ISU students, faculty, staff, and the public