University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Betsy Stephenson Named Director of Athletics and Recreation at Emory University
March 31, 2004 | Bruin Athletics
March 31, 2004
Betsy Stephenson, associate athletics director at UCLA, has been appointed Director of Athletics and Recreation at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Her last day at UCLA will be May 31.
"Betsy Stephenson is a tremendous fit for our exemplary scholar athletes and dedicated coaching staff," said John Ford, Emory senior vice president and dean of campus life. "I'm confident she will provide strong leadership for Emory's athletics and recreation programs which have been a national model for the successful integration of athletics and academics."
"I am thrilled to be selected to lead Emory's athletics and recreation program," said Stephenson. "The national academic and athletic success of its program is exemplary and of a caliber of which I am honored to be associated."
"This is an exciting opportunity for Betsy," said Dan Guerrero, UCLA Director of Athletics. "She has been an important member of the UCLA athletic administration for eight years and has been invaluable to me during my two years at UCLA. She will be a terrific Athletics Director and we wish her all the best."
At Emory, Stephenson will oversee 18 varsity sports as well as the recreational services program (intramurals, club sports, recreational activities). As a voluntary member of NCAA Division III, Emory offers academic scholarships and need-based financial aid, but does not award athletic scholarships.
In five of the last eight years, Emory has finished in the top 10 nationally in the NACDA Directors' Cup standings for best all-around athletics program in NCAA Division III, including second place last school year.
Emory was No. 1 in the nation last school year for most CoSIDA Academic All-Americans among all NCAA schools (Divisions I, II and III) [Emory tied Rice University for top honors]. The Academic All-America program honors the best and brightest student-athletes.
Emory also finished No. 1 in the nation among all NCAA schools for most NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners [Emory finished ahead of second-place Stanford University]. The scholarships are awarded to the best graduating student-athletes who intend to pursue graduate school.
Combined with Emory's No. 2 national finish for best athletics program, the University was the only NCAA school to finish in the top five in all three categories (including the respective NACDA Directors' Cup standings for Divisions I and II).
"Betsy brings a wealth of experience in running successful athletics programs," said Harvey Klehr, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Political Science at Emory. "She has a wonderful ability to articulate what a (NCAA) Division III program should look like."
"Everyone on the search committee was impressed with Betsy," said Edie Murphree, Emory Vice-President for Finance. "She is extremely qualified and committed to the Division III concept of academics and athletics. She also is very personable, someone people will enjoy getting to know."
"Betsy Stephenson is the right person at the right time to lead our athletics and recreation program," said Dan Walls, Emory Dean of Admissions. "She has a wealth of experience and ideas on how to enrich and advance our program. I look forward to welcoming her as we continue our tradition of recruiting superb student-athletes."
"To me, Betsy is a perfect fit for Emory because she understands the academic excellence that we strive for," said Jennifer McDowell, Emory interim athletics director and head women's volleyball coach. "She is committed to making our athletics and recreation program the best it can be. We're excited because we feel we got one of the great leaders in college athletics, the best of the best. We want to take the athletics program to a higher level because that's what Emory expects and deserves."
"Ms. Stephenson is highly qualified with many positive skills that will contribute to making an excellent athletics program even better," said Thomas D. Lancaster, Emory College's Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.
"Betsy is an energetic, dynamic personality with excellent administrative experience," said Dan Magee, director of Emory Recreational Services. "I am confident she will help further develop an outstanding athletics program in all facets."
Stephenson has been at UCLA since 1996 in her current position as associate A.D. and senior women's administrator. In that time period, UCLA has won 15 NCAA Division I national championships -- men's soccer (1997, 2002), men's volleyball (1998, 2000), men's water polo (1999), women's gymnastics (1997, 2000, 2001, 2003), women's softball (1999, 2003), women's indoor track (2000), women's outdoor track (2001), and women's water polo (2001, 2003).
As associate athletics director, Stephenson supervises head coaches, academic services, recruiting services, student services. Past duties included supervision of marketing and promotions.
Prior to UCLA, Stephenson spent four years (1992-96) as associate athletics director and senior women's administrator at University of Kansas. She served under athletics director Bob Frederick, former chair of the NCAA Division I men's basketball committee. There she supervised 12 head coaches, and the marketing, equipment and strength/conditioning operations.
Stephenson worked for eight years (1984-92) at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the last three as Director of Division I Men's Basketball Operations. Her primary responsibility was ticket operations for the men's Final Four. In her first five years, she was an executive assistant, working with the Division I men's basketball championship and selected Division III national championships.
Stephenson is concluding a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Management Council, the highest ranking governing body in college athletics for administrators. She has been on the NCAA Division I women's volleyball committee as well as numerous Pac-10 Conference committees.
She is a 1983 graduate from Kansas where she completed her undergraduate studies in personnel administration. She played one year on the school's volleyball team.
