APPLETON, Wis. -- Michelle Detwiler has joined the leadership team in the Lawrence University Department of Athletics.
    The hiring of Detwiler, who will serve as Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations, was announced by Director of Athletics Jason Imperati.
    "I am excited to announce that Michelle will be joining our staff to serve as our Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations," Imperati said. "Michelle's experience and passion for Division III athletics will certainly benefit our current student-athletes and staff. This position is vital for the continued growth for our department, and we are excited to see Michelle in this role."
    A native of Elkhart, Ind., Detwiler came to Lawrence from the University of Oklahoma, where she had served as Assistant Director-Student Experience in the Sooners' Department of Athletics. 
    "I would like to thank Jason Imperati and the entire Lawrence University staff for providing me with this unbelievable opportunity to continue to build an Athletic Department that is competitive in the classroom, in sport and in life through developing holistic programming that prepares Lawrence student-athletes for life after Lawrence," Detwiler said. "As a woman of color in this role, it means a lot to me, and I am humbled to be chosen to be in this position at Lawrence University."
    Prior to her stint at Oklahoma, Detwiler was the Student-Athlete Development and Experience Coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis, an NCAA Division III institution. While at WashU, Detwiler worked to construct a four-year student-athlete development program and led more than 50 events that engaged all 19 sport programs over a span of 14 months.
    A former NCAA Division III student-athlete, Detwiler played basketball and competed in track and field at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Mass. Detwiler earned a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Eastern Nazarene in 2018. Detwiler went on to attend Texas Tech University and earned a master of science degree in sport management in 2021. While a student at Texas Tech, Detwiler served as a graduate assistant focusing on community and character development in the Department of Athletics.   
    "As a former Division III student-athlete, I am passionate about helping enhance the experience of today's student-athlete to ensure that they are provided opportunities to develop holistic skills and tools for life after Lawrence," Detwiler said. "The moment I arrived on campus, I felt at home and part of a family, which is what I was looking for during the search process. The passion, commitment, and care of students' holistic development rose quickly to the surface during the hiring process and why I knew Lawrence was the right fit for me."
    Detwiler was involved in a multitude of projects and activities at both Oklahoma and WashU and picked up several awards, including winning the NCAA Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative in 2022. 
    "The vision and values of Lawrence University and the Athletic Department deeply align with my own, and I am eager to start helping enrich the student-athlete experience alongside my new colleagues. I am looking forward to implementing student-athlete development programming that will help prepare student-athletes in their four years at Lawrence for the next 40 years of success," Detwiler said.
    "I would also like to thank my mentors, Lamarr Pottinger (NCAA), Summer Hutcheson (WashU), Anthony J. Azama (WashU) and Coach Pat Juckem (WashU and Lawrence class of 1995), for their continuous help and support throughout my career."