Lori Livingston
PhD

Research and expertise

• Background and interests

  Dr. Lori Livingston, Professor and Dean, has an established program of research focused on the recruitment, development, retention, and attrition of amateur sport officials. Her work has broadened the research agenda to include critical examinations of factors which impact officials, including the nature of the sport (e.g. invasion game, court sport, fielding sport, aesthetic, racing, etc.), and the environment in which officials perform (e.g. perceived organizational support, urban vs rural, grassroots versus elite). A former national team athlete, coach and administrator, as well as a nationally-ranked field lacrosse umpire, she has strong working relationships and research connections with numerous national, provincial and local sport organizations.  She has published works in a number of different areas, including but not limited to clinical biomechanics, human-computer interaction, and injury prevention. However, her current research program is limited to the area of sport officiating.

  Dr. Livingston holds a dual undergraduate degree in Biology and Physical Education (BA-BPHE with Distinction) and a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Biomechanics from Queen’s University, and a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Calgary.  She came to the Ontario Tech University in 2015.

• Publications

  For a comprehensive list of publications, visit ResearchGate, PubMed and/or Google Scholar.

  Livingston, L.A., & Forbes, S.L. (2025). Inclusive, equitable, and supportive environments are essential to the recruitment and retention of sport officials.  In Webb, T., Hancock, D., Phillips, P., & Tingle, J.K.  (Eds.), Officiating excellence:  Managing and developing sport officials (Chapter 6, pp. 57-68).  London:  Taylor & Francis.  DOI: 10.4324/9781003370987-8

  Carter, T.B., Gorczynski, P., Coady, C.J., Cunningham, I.J., Mascarenhas, D.R.D., Grant, M., Sullivan, P., Webb, T., Livingston, L.A., & Hancock, D.J. (2024).  Implementing a scoping review to explore sport officials’ mental health.  Frontiers in Sports and Active Living 6:1436149.  Doi:10.3389/FSPOR.2024.1436149

  Livingston, L.A. (2024).  Trying to insert themselves as a square peg into a round hole:  Experiences of newcomers as coaches in the Canadian amateur sport system. In Maguire, J., Liston, K., & Falcous, M. (Eds.), Handbook of Sport & Migration (Chapter 24, pp. 274-284).  Cheltenham, UK:  Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

  Livingston, L.A., Forbes, S.L., & Cunningham, I. (2023).  Using technological innovation to manage and develop sport officials.  Managing Sport and Leisure.  DOI: 10.1080/23750472.2023.2166575 

  Livingston, L.A., & Forbes, S.L. (2022).  Safe sport:  Rules are an essential piece of the puzzle.  In Stevens, J. (Ed.), Safe sport:  Critical Issues and Practices (Chapter 15, pp. 325-341).  Retrieved from:  ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/safesport

  Forbes, S.L., & Livingston, L.A. (2022).  Creating a safe, equitable, and inclusive culture for sport officials.  In Stevens, J. (Ed.), Safe sport:  Critical Issues and Practices (Chapter 16, pp. 342-358).  Retrieved from:  ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/safesport

  Short, M., Martin, K., & Livingston, L.A., & Côté, P. (2021).  Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and symptoms of anxiety in post-secondary students: A cross-sectional study of two faculties.  Psychiatry Research Communications, 1, 100007.   

  Cregg, A., Foley, R., Livingston, L.A., & La Delfa, N. (2021).  A biomechanical evaluation of different footrest heights during standing computer work.  Ergonomics, 64(3), 342-353. 

  Livingston, L.A., Forbes, S.L., Wattie, N., & Cunningham, I. (2020).  Sport officiating recruitment, development, and retention.  London:  Routledge.

  Livingston, L.A., Forbes, S.L., Pearson, N., Camacho, T., Wattie, N., & Varian, P. (2017).  Sport officiating recruitment, development, and retention:  A call to action.  Current Issues in Sport Science, 2:011. doi: 10.15203/CISS_2017.011

  Livingston, L.A., & Forbes, S.L. (2017).  Resilience, motivations for participation, and perceived organizational support among aesthetic sport officials. Journal of Sport Behavior, 40, 43-67.

  Livingston, L.A., & Forbes, S.L. (2017).  “Just bounce right back up and dust yourself off.”:  Participation motivations, resilience, and perceived organizational support amongst amateur baseball umpires. Baseball Research Journal, 46(2), 91-101

  Livingston, L.A. & Forbes, S.L. (2016). Factors contributing to the retention of Canadian amateur sport officials: Motivations, perceived organizational support, and resilience. International Journal of Sport Science & Coaching, 11, 342-355.

  Livingston, L.A., (2015).  Ready…draw! The golden age of senior women’s field lacrosse in Canada.  Sport History Review, 46, 226-258.

  Forbes, S.L., & Livingston, L.A. (2013, April).  Changing the call:  Rethinking attrition from the officiating ranks.  Sport in Society, 16, 295-309.

  Tirone, S.C., Livingston, L.A., Miller, A.J., & Smith, E.L. (2010). Including immigrants in elite and recreational sports:  The experiences of athletes, sport providers and immigrants.  Leisure/Loisir, 34, 403-420.

  Huybers-Withers, S.M., & Livingston, L.A. (2010).  Mountain bikes are for men:  Consumption practices and identity portrayed by a niche magazine. Sport in Society, 13, 1204-1222.

  Mahar, S.M., & Livingston, L.A. (2009).  Bilateral measurement of resting calcaneal stance position and tibial varum using digital photography and standardized positioning protocols.  Journal of the American Podiatric Medicine Association, 99, 198-205.

  Moncrieff, M.J. & Livingston, L.A. (2009). Reliability of a digital photographic-goniometric method for coronal plane lower limb measurements.    Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 18, 296-315.

  Livingston, L.A., Tirone, S.C., Smith, E.L., & Miller, A.J. (2008).  Participation in coaching by Canadian immigrants:  Individual and sport system accommodations required.  International Journal of Sport Science & Coaching, 3, 403-415.

  Betts, M.J., Forbes, S.L., & Livingston, L.A. (2007).  Factors contributing to the attrition of Canadian amateur ice hockey officials:  The experiences of referees and linesmen in Atlantic Canada.  Avante, 11, 15-22.

  Livingston, L.A., & Forbes, S.L. (2007).  Factors contributing to the attrition of Canadian amateur ice hockey officials:  Survey results from an Ontario-based district hockey association.  Avante, 11, 1-14.

• Research collaborators
  • Ontario Soccer, Basketball Ontario, Baseball Canada and others
• Grants

  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Development Grant (2022-2025, $187,000). Exploring sport officials’ mental health.  (Principal Investigator:  D.Hancock (Memorial University of Newfoundland with P. Sullivan (Brock University), I. Cunningham, D. Mascarenhas (Edinburgh Napier University), L. Livingston (Ontario Tech University), P. Gorczynski, T. Webb (University of Portsmouth) and Partner Organizations (Canada Basketball, Ontario Association of Basketball Officials, Rugby Canada, Ontario Rugger Union, and No Refs No Games).

  eCampus Ontario Virtual Learning Strategy (2021, $39,548). Safe sport:  Critical issues and practices.  (Principal Investigator:  J. Stevens (Brock) with L.A. Livingston & S.L. Forbes, Ontario Tech)

  Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2018-2021, $137,090) & Sport Participation Research Initiative (2019-2021, $20,000). Making the right call:  Understanding constraints on the recruitment, retention and development of sport officials (Principal Investigator: N. Wattie with L.A. Livingston & S.L. Forbes, Ontario Tech)

  Ontario Trillium Foundation Award (2017-2020, $294,500).  Long-term officiating development program.  (Principal Investigator:  N. Pearson & T. Camacho, Ontario Soccer with L.A. Livingston & S.L. Forbes, Ontario Tech)

• Courses taught
  • Research Approaches
  • Advanced Research Methods in the Social and Natural Sciences
• Education
  • PhD, Educational Psychology, University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, 1990
  • Master of Science, Biomechanics, Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, 1984
  • BA/BPHE, Biology-Physical Education (with distinction), Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, 1982