WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis University has selected Jessica Chapin, currently the Director of Athletics at American International College, to become the 13^th Director of Athletics in school history, Brandeis Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dine announced today.

"Andrea and I worked very closely with the search committee, campus colleagues, faculty, department staff and student-athletes to identify experienced and qualified candidates for the role," said Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Lauren Haynie. "Jessica's energy, passion, and clear enthusiasm for Brandeis were evident through every step of the search process, and we cannot wait to see how she seizes this opportunity."

"Accepting the role of Director of Athletics at my alma mater, Brandeis University, is a true honor," Chapin said. "I am deeply humbled by the trust placed in me to lead the athletic department into its next chapter. I am incredibly excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and am eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

"I want to extend my sincere thanks to Andrea Dine and the search committee for this incredible opportunity. I look forward to returning to Brandeis, a place that has given me so much, to work closely with the entire Brandeis community to enhance the student-athlete experience and achieve excellence both on and off the field."

Chapin joins the Brandeis athletics staff after spending 10 years at American International. She joined the Yellowjackets' staff in 2014 as their Compliance Coordinator and was promoted to Director of Athletics in 2020. She was successful in helping AIC's athletic department navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing her department's teams to begin play in Winter of 2020.

Under Chapin's leadership, AIC's teams finished a best-ever 19^th in the Learfield Director's Cup standings in Division II after the 2021-22 season, the top institution in the East Region that year. The Director's Cup is a measure of the success of an entire athletic department's success in competition over the course of an academic year.

The school's men's hockey team won back-to-back Atlantic Hockey Association titles in 2021 and 2022, earning a berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament, while also producing two individual NCAA Division II championships in men's cross country and track and field. The Yellowjackets also expanded their sports offerings in her tenure, adding men's volleyball in 2022 and women's acrobatics and tumbling, which will begin in spring of 2025.

In addition to athletic success, AIC experienced astonishing increases in fundraising amounts under Chapin's leadership. The 2021 Athletics Giving Week raised $197,515, more than double the previous year, and exceeded $200,000 the following year. The model was adopted by the College at large the following year, and in the two most recent years has helped AIC bring in over $750,000 in donations.

Chapin has represented AIC on several major committees, including current roles on the East Regional Advisory Committee for women's volleyball and the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions and as Chair of the Atlantic Hockey Association's Executive Committee.  She is a member of NACDA and Women Leaders in College Sports, and previously has served on the NCAA Research Committee, National Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Legislation Committee, and Olympic Sport Committee, all as part of the NCAA Division II Management Council.

Chapin will be no stranger to success at Brandeis. A four-year member of the women's basketball team, Chapin was a two-time Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American, including first-team honor as a senior, when she was named the University Athletic Association Player of the Year. She was a four-time All-UAA selection, a member of the conference's 25^th- and 30^th- Anniversary teams, and is the only player in school history to rank among the top 10 in career points (1,280, sixth), rebounds (521, eighth), assists (262, sixth) and steals (243, third).

Chapin graduated from Brandeis in 2010 with degrees in Psychology and Health: Science, Society and Policy. She received her Master's in Sports Administration from Springfield College in 2013 and spent four years as an assistant coach at Western New England University before joining the staff at American International.

Chapin succeeds Lauren Haynie, who was promoted to Brandeis's Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs last fall. She will start her tenure at Brandeis on June 3rd.