University of Massachusets Athletics
Joan Hopkins Honored With N4A Lan Hewlett Award
June 27, 2018 | General, Athletics Department, Academic Success
Retiring Associate AD for Student-Athlete Development presented honor at N4A Convention.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - At the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) annual convention held earlier this week in Washington, D.C., University of Massachusetts Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development Joan Hopkins was presented the 2018 Lan Hewlett Award recognizing her terrific career in higher education.
"I am very moved to have been nominated and chosen for the N4A Lan Hewlett award as I have had a wonderful career in assisting student-athletes in achieving success both academically and personally during their time in college," said Hopkins. "I have been very fortunate to have had supportive administrators and hard-working academic staffs over the years who have helped me earn this award. To receive this recognition from my peers in an organization that has meant so much to me is indeed an honor."
It was announced prior to the convention that Hopkins will be retiring at the end of August after 12 years with the University and 42 years overall in higher education.
CLEVELAND (June 11, 2018) -- The National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A)announced the recipients of its Lan Hewlett and Distinguished Service Awards. The winners will be recognized during the 2018 N4A Convention, held June 24-26 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The N4A Awards Luncheon will be Tuesday, June 26, at noon in rooms Maryland A-B, 1-6.
"It is with great pleasure that N4A acknowledges and honors the professional achievements of colleagues who are dedicated to higher education, college athletics and a positive student-athlete experience," stated Felicia Martin, vice president of the eligibility center at the NCAA. "This year's recipients are shining examples of industry leaders. Their devotion extends beyond their significant university impact to a broader influence within our profession. These distinguished recipients exemplify administrators who are invested in N4A and have served the organization in a variety of ways."
Lan Hewlett Award
This award is named in honor of Mr. Lan Hewlett, a long-time advisor at the University of Texas, who is generally acknowledged as the first to provide academic support services to student-athletes. This award is presented annually to an advisor who has demonstrated the following:
Joan Hopkins received her bachelor's in social studies and secondary education from Penn State and her master's in counselor education from Lehigh. After her collegiate career at Penn State University, she served as Lehigh and Northern Michigan University's women's swimming coach.
Hopkins began her administration career at Eastern Kentucky University where she spent 20 years as Coordinator of the Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center. The Center oversaw academic support programs for EKU's 350 student-athletes, resulting in a top-50 rating for the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR). The Center was also honored eight times as the top program in the Ohio Valley Conference and was the runner-up eight additional times.
Hopkins was hired as the Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services at the University of Massachusetts in August 2006. She oversees the academic services staff of seven which includes the academic progress of UMass' 650-plus student-athletes. Hopkins served as Interim Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) from July 2014 through June 2015.
Throughout her career, Hopkins has been actively involved in N4A. She presented at the 2015 N4A National Convention in Orlando, Florida on "Pro-Active Advising for At-Risk Student-Athletes".
She has previously served on the N4A Board of Directors and has been the chair of various N4A committees. In June 2011, she was the recipient of the N4A Distinguished Service Award, given to members who contribute above and beyond the normal service required by positions of leadership.
Distinguished Service Award
This prestigious award is presented annually to a N4A member who has demonstrated the following:
Ursula Gurney earned her B.A. degree in History from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2000. She then went on to earn her master's degree in History from SFU in 2002. Athletically, Gurney swam competitively at the national level in Canada participating in several National Championships, Olympic and Commonwealth Games Trials. Prior to her work in Kansas City, Gurney spent seven years at The Ohio State University.
Gurney was named the SWA in May of 2014 as well as being promoted to the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations. Prior to her appointment, she was the Senior Associate AD for Academics and Strategic Initiatives.
In her current role as Deputy AD, Gurney oversees the areas of academics, compliance, sports medicine, sports performance, and is the primary liaison with UMKC's Offices of Admissions, Registration and Records and Residential Life. In addition, Gurney serves as a Deputy Title IX officer for the institution. She has oversight of ten of UMKC's sixteen programs, serving as the sport administrator for women's basketball, men's and women's golf, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country and track and field. She represents UMKC as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Administrative Council and serves as a member of the Director of Athletics Senior Staff.
As Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), Gurney provides administrative leadership in the management and governance of UMKC's Intercollegiate Athletics program, and is heavily involved in key decision making at the institutional, conference, and national levels. She collaborates to address strategic initiatives and departmental goals, serves as a resource to all student-athletes and coaches, supports gender equity and Title IX issues, and evaluates performance of departmental employees.
Gurney is an active member of N4A and Women Leaders in College Sports. She has presented multiple times at N4A's national and regional conferences. She has served on N4A's Board of Directors since 2012, and is a current member of N4A's Strategic Planning Committee. In 2015, she was awarded N4A's Lan Hewlett Award, an honor presented to those who demonstrate an unyielding commitment to the profession. She currently serves on the NCAA Committee on Academics, and the WAC's Academic and Governance Committee. Between 2011 and 2013 she was a member of the NCAA Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet. She is a graduate of Women Leaders 2012 Leadership Enhancement Institute (LEI), the 2010 West Institute for Administrative Advancement (IAA), and a 2009 graduate of the N4A's Professional Development Institute (PDI) Leader/Manager Track.
About N4A: N4A, which has been in existence since 1975, is a diverse educational service and professional non-profit organization. Membership of N4A includes academic support and student services personnel who are committed to enhancing opportunities for academic, athletics and personal success for student-athletes. For more information on N4A, visit www.nfoura.org. N4A is administered by NACDA, now in its 53rd year, administers 17 professional associations, including seven for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics directors. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.
"I am very moved to have been nominated and chosen for the N4A Lan Hewlett award as I have had a wonderful career in assisting student-athletes in achieving success both academically and personally during their time in college," said Hopkins. "I have been very fortunate to have had supportive administrators and hard-working academic staffs over the years who have helped me earn this award. To receive this recognition from my peers in an organization that has meant so much to me is indeed an honor."
It was announced prior to the convention that Hopkins will be retiring at the end of August after 12 years with the University and 42 years overall in higher education.
"Our most sincere congratulations to Joan for this career achievement and honor," said Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford. "Joan's career in college athletics has been noteworthy and it is clear that her work with UMass students for the last 12 years has truly been her passion. She has shown tremendous impact in her commitment to developing a well-rounded student-athlete and our athletics department and this University are grateful."
Hopkins joined the department in 2006 as the head of the Academic Services unit. She most recently was appointed to lead UMass' Student-Athlete Development program through the newly created UMass ASPIRES program. This past spring, her work with ASPIRES was highlighted by the NCAA's Champion Magazine.
While overseeing the academic support and student development programs for UMass' 650 student-athletes, the athletics grade point average rose from a 2.967 to an all-time high in the Spring of 2017 of a 3.127. Under her tenure the Atlantic 10 recognized UMass for having the most student-athletes named to the league's Commissioner's Honor Roll on six occasions while finishing with the second-most two other times. Hopkins was the recipient of the 2011 N4A Distinguished Service Award which is presented to members who contribute above and beyond the normal service required by leadership positions. She was a member of the executive board of the N4A for many years.
For complete coverage of UMass athletics, follow the Minutemen and Minutewomen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassAthletics and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.
--- N4A RELEASE BELOW ---
CLEVELAND (June 11, 2018) -- The National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A)announced the recipients of its Lan Hewlett and Distinguished Service Awards. The winners will be recognized during the 2018 N4A Convention, held June 24-26 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The N4A Awards Luncheon will be Tuesday, June 26, at noon in rooms Maryland A-B, 1-6.
"It is with great pleasure that N4A acknowledges and honors the professional achievements of colleagues who are dedicated to higher education, college athletics and a positive student-athlete experience," stated Felicia Martin, vice president of the eligibility center at the NCAA. "This year's recipients are shining examples of industry leaders. Their devotion extends beyond their significant university impact to a broader influence within our profession. These distinguished recipients exemplify administrators who are invested in N4A and have served the organization in a variety of ways."
Lan Hewlett Award
This award is named in honor of Mr. Lan Hewlett, a long-time advisor at the University of Texas, who is generally acknowledged as the first to provide academic support services to student-athletes. This award is presented annually to an advisor who has demonstrated the following:
- Sustained professional service in academic advising for collegiate student-athletes
- High level of competency in administrative skills
- Merited stature among and support from student-athletes, faculty, coaches, and fellow administrators
- Innovative response in meeting varied and emerging needs of student-athletes
- An effectiveness in the development of junior staff (where appropriate)
- Significant contributions to the field through publications or professional involvement/development
- Leadership in university affairs
Joan Hopkins received her bachelor's in social studies and secondary education from Penn State and her master's in counselor education from Lehigh. After her collegiate career at Penn State University, she served as Lehigh and Northern Michigan University's women's swimming coach.Hopkins began her administration career at Eastern Kentucky University where she spent 20 years as Coordinator of the Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center. The Center oversaw academic support programs for EKU's 350 student-athletes, resulting in a top-50 rating for the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR). The Center was also honored eight times as the top program in the Ohio Valley Conference and was the runner-up eight additional times.
Hopkins was hired as the Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services at the University of Massachusetts in August 2006. She oversees the academic services staff of seven which includes the academic progress of UMass' 650-plus student-athletes. Hopkins served as Interim Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) from July 2014 through June 2015.
Throughout her career, Hopkins has been actively involved in N4A. She presented at the 2015 N4A National Convention in Orlando, Florida on "Pro-Active Advising for At-Risk Student-Athletes".
She has previously served on the N4A Board of Directors and has been the chair of various N4A committees. In June 2011, she was the recipient of the N4A Distinguished Service Award, given to members who contribute above and beyond the normal service required by positions of leadership.
Distinguished Service Award
This prestigious award is presented annually to a N4A member who has demonstrated the following:
- Continuous N4A membership for five years
- Leadership in N4A at the regional or national level, a high quality of which is recognized by N4A peers
- Contributions above and beyond the normal service required by positions of leadership
Ursula Gurney earned her B.A. degree in History from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2000. She then went on to earn her master's degree in History from SFU in 2002. Athletically, Gurney swam competitively at the national level in Canada participating in several National Championships, Olympic and Commonwealth Games Trials. Prior to her work in Kansas City, Gurney spent seven years at The Ohio State University.Gurney was named the SWA in May of 2014 as well as being promoted to the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations. Prior to her appointment, she was the Senior Associate AD for Academics and Strategic Initiatives.
In her current role as Deputy AD, Gurney oversees the areas of academics, compliance, sports medicine, sports performance, and is the primary liaison with UMKC's Offices of Admissions, Registration and Records and Residential Life. In addition, Gurney serves as a Deputy Title IX officer for the institution. She has oversight of ten of UMKC's sixteen programs, serving as the sport administrator for women's basketball, men's and women's golf, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country and track and field. She represents UMKC as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Administrative Council and serves as a member of the Director of Athletics Senior Staff.
As Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), Gurney provides administrative leadership in the management and governance of UMKC's Intercollegiate Athletics program, and is heavily involved in key decision making at the institutional, conference, and national levels. She collaborates to address strategic initiatives and departmental goals, serves as a resource to all student-athletes and coaches, supports gender equity and Title IX issues, and evaluates performance of departmental employees.
Gurney is an active member of N4A and Women Leaders in College Sports. She has presented multiple times at N4A's national and regional conferences. She has served on N4A's Board of Directors since 2012, and is a current member of N4A's Strategic Planning Committee. In 2015, she was awarded N4A's Lan Hewlett Award, an honor presented to those who demonstrate an unyielding commitment to the profession. She currently serves on the NCAA Committee on Academics, and the WAC's Academic and Governance Committee. Between 2011 and 2013 she was a member of the NCAA Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet. She is a graduate of Women Leaders 2012 Leadership Enhancement Institute (LEI), the 2010 West Institute for Administrative Advancement (IAA), and a 2009 graduate of the N4A's Professional Development Institute (PDI) Leader/Manager Track.
About N4A: N4A, which has been in existence since 1975, is a diverse educational service and professional non-profit organization. Membership of N4A includes academic support and student services personnel who are committed to enhancing opportunities for academic, athletics and personal success for student-athletes. For more information on N4A, visit www.nfoura.org. N4A is administered by NACDA, now in its 53rd year, administers 17 professional associations, including seven for the separate business units that report directly to the athletics directors. For more information on NACDA, visit www.nacda.com.
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