Here at Stevens, different departments combine to make a functioning school. Each department reports to a different Vice President sitting in President Farvardin’s cabinet. One of these departments, Athletics and Recreation, recently received a new leader. As announced in a release from Stevens, Stevens’ own Russ Rogers has been appointed as Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation.
Rogers has been at Stevens since 1995, acting as the Director of Campus Recreation, and since July of 2000, as the Director of Campus Recreation. During his tenure here at Stevens, Rogers has led the Ducks from the “Empire 8” Conference to the Middle Atlantic Conference, the first National Collegiate Athletics Association team championship with the men’s volleyball team in 2015, and received accolades like finishing in the top 50 in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Learfield Directors Cup standings 13 times, including each of the last 13 years the cup has been awarded.
The Stute reached out to Rogers. When asked what this new role meant to him, Rogers explained he is, “very fortunate and thankful to be in this role. It is not something I take lightly, and I know that many people would love to do what I have the privilege of doing every day. There is a significant level of responsibility that comes with this job, and I am driven to do all I can to represent Stevens in the best possible manner.” Rogers then explained that in his new position, he will, “work every day to put our coaches, student-athletes, and staff in the best position possible to achieve these goals. Some of them include fielding one of the nation’s top NCAA Division III athletic programs on an annual basis; making further progress in efforts to improve the quality of our athletic and recreational facilities; continuing to expand the activity level and quality of the campus recreation program; and most importantly striving to ensure the student experience is greatly enhanced through their participation in athletics and/or campus recreation.”
In his new role, Rogers explained that the most important part of his duty is to continue learning, noting that, “the importance of empowering the members of our department – coaches, staff, and student-athletes – through listening to them and doing everything possible to support their hard work.”
With most of the students on campus being involved in either the athletics program or using the recreation facilities, Rogers understands the importance of his new position. He says he understands that his department is “never going to be perfect,” but encourages any students with any questions or concerns to reach out to help make Stevens athletics and recreation as good as possible.
