Award-winning sports journalist joins ASU as executive editor of Sports Knowledge Lab

Kathy Kudravi, a veteran award-winning sports journalist who has led news teams at ESPN and CNN, has been named the executive editor of a new international sports research and knowledge lab at Arizona State University.

Kudravi will lead the Sports Knowledge Lab based at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The lab is part of ASU’s Global Sport Institute, an international sports research and knowledge lab that connects people to the power of sport by translating and amplifying complex sports research to broad, global audiences.

In the Sports Knowledge Lab, Kudravi will oversee the publication of GlobalSport Matters, a dynamic multimedia storytelling platform that will be the go-to source for must-read and must-know data and advice from across the world of sport.

“I could not be more pleased that Kathy has joined us to launch and lead what will essentially be the concierge for the Global Sport Institute,” said Kenneth L. Shropshire, Adidas Distinguished Professor of Global Sport who serves as CEO of the Global Sport Institute. “Her experience to guide this effort is unmatched.”

Kudravi will oversee and teach a team of students at the Cronkite School in the production and presentation of a variety of curated and original content that will examine the impact of sport on society and provide context for top sports headlines from around the world. Content will include long-form writing, documentaries, articles, newsletters, data visualization and podcasts.

In addition to students enrolled for credit in this professional immersion experience each semester, Kudravi will hire and supervise student workers and student volunteers to assist in content production.

“I am thrilled to be joining the world-class team at ASU, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with aspiring sports journalists as they prepare for careers in today’s multi-platform media environment,” Kudravi said. “What excites me most is exploring how old-school research, which forms the foundation of great storytelling, can combine with today’s digital tools to create even stronger storylines thereby showcasing the interconnectivity between sport and society.”

Kudravi previously served as a coordinating producer at ESPN from 1999–2012, where she managed reporters, producers and camera operators across the country for reporting on “SportsCenter” and other network programs.

From 2012–2014, she was editorial director of sports at CNN, where she led the direction of sports content across CNN U.S., CNN International and HLN. She also served as the editorial lead on the award-winning “World Sport Presents” documentary series.

“Kathy has worked in leadership roles at some of the most respected outlets in sports media,” said Brett Kurland, director of sports programs at Cronkite. “Plus, she brings so much passion, energy and creativity to Cronkite. That combination of her rich experience and infection enthusiasm are an incredible asset for our students and our school.”

Most recently, Kudravi was the executive producer and digital director of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s American Sports Network, where she created a website focused on college sports and minor league baseball and grew social media followings.

A graduate of Kent State University in Ohio, Kudravi has significant newspaper experience having worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Texas, The Tennessean in Nashville, Tennessee, and The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.

She is the recipient of two Emmy Awards for Best Daily Sports Show and has been recognized by the Foreign Press Association.

The Sport Knowledge Lab will be the 14th immersive professional experience at the Cronkite School that uses the school’s “teaching hospital” approach to education. Programs include a nightly television newscast that airs on Arizona PBS, an innovation and entrepreneurship lab where students create new digital products and services, a news reporting bureau in Washington, D.C., and a Spanish-language bureau where students report and produce news content across media platforms for Spanish-speaking audiences.

In the past several years, the Cronkite School has significantly expanded its sports journalism programs, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sports journalism, reporting bureaus in Phoenix and Los Angeles, a summer camp for high school students, and new faculty hires that include Paola Boivin, the award-winning sports columnist for The Arizona Republic.

Cronkite students have covered major sporting events, including the Super Bowl in 2015, the Summer Olympics Games in 2016 and the NCAA Men’s Final Four in 2017.