Kath Woodward joined the Open University as a student in the 1970s. Over the course of her very successful OU journey she has been a tutor counsellor and tutor (subsequently an Associate Lecturer), a staff tutor, a lecturer in Women’s Studies and then Sociology, and later a Professor and Head of Department. She worked on all of the Level One Social Sciences modules, and chaired the very popular DD100. She says, "The Open University really matters to me. I’m now an Emeritus Professor, but still say ‘we’ and ‘our students’ when I talk about the OU."
Sport is a very important aspect of Kath's life and is the subject of most of her research. She is committed to exploring the social, political, and cultural significance of sport and, while she doesn't take part in much sport now (apart from walking three labradors), she is an avid fan (especially of cricket, boxing and Sheffield Wednesday). Her particular interests are in gender identities and relations and in the opportunities for change, as well as the creation and persistence of inequalities in sport.