Professor Ashley Stirling is a Professor, Teaching Stream in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education at the University of Toronto. She is an internationally recognized scholar and academic leader whose work has advanced policy, practice, and education in both sport and higher education.

Professor Stirling is known globally for her research in sport coaching, with a particular focus on positive athlete development, safeguarding athlete welfare, and preventing maltreatment and interpersonal violence in sport. Applying her research to practice, she has developed and evaluated national coach education and safe sport initiatives for organizations including the Coaches Association of Ontario, the Coaching Association of Canada, Canadian Women & Sport, U.S. Childhelp, and Global Sports. She has also served as an expert advisor to numerous local, national, and international sport and governance organizations, including the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and the European Union High Level Group on Gender Equality in Sport.

Professor Stirling is also an internationally esteemed scholar and leader in experiential education and work-integrated learning. In collaboration with the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, she co-developed a highly cited practical guide on effective practices to enhance the educational quality of structured work experiences offered through colleges and universities. She is regularly invited to deliver keynote presentations across Canada and internationally on advancing experiential education and work-integrated learning in higher education.

Her leadership contributions in this field include serving as a Senior Editorial Board Member for the International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, Chair of the Research Committee for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada, and member of the International Research Committee of the World Association for Cooperative Education. She has worked with faculty and staff across disciplines, curricular and co-curricular domains, and university and college sectors to advance high-quality experiential and work-integrated learning opportunities. She also has extensive experience in academic leadership, including serving as former Vice-Dean, Programs, where she provided strategic oversight for academic programs, varsity athletics, and recreation, with a focus on enhancing the student experience, strengthening organizational performance, and advancing the Faculty’s educational mission.