Declan Abernethy

Declan Abernethy was born and raised in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Declan earned a B.A. in Science and Technology Studies in 2018 from Cornell University. He earned his PhD in the History and Sociology of Technology and Science from Georgia Tech in the summer of 2025.

After graduating from Cornell, Declan joined the Georgia Institute of Technology as a PhD student in the History and Sociology of Technology and Science. Declan's master's paper, Imagining a United Atlanta: Atlanta United FC, Imagined Community, and Inequality in Modern Atlanta used a mixed-methods approach to study the rise and impact of Atlanta's Major League Soccer franchise on Atlantans. Declan's dissertation was a history of the United States Women's National Soccer Team, titled Grass Ceiling: The United States Women’s National Team, Politics, and the Making of 21st Century Icons. In addition to his dissertation, Declan has also published on the role of technology in the proliferation of women’s soccer fandom and on Atlanta’s soccer community.

Declan teaches several courses on the intersection of sport, history, and science and technology studies. When he is not researching or teaching, Declan coaches youth soccer and won a Georgia state soccer championship in 2025. Declan lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his partner, Weezie, and their dog, Bob.