Wildcats Unite Student Development Under Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer
5/15/2023 1:18:00 PM | General, David G. Kabiller NU for Life Program, Academic Services & Student Development, King NU P.R.I.D.E. Program, Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Maria Sanchez will oversee King NU P.R.I.D.E. Program, Kabiller NU For Life, in move that makes DEI a foundation of student-athlete development
EVANSTON, Illinois – Northwestern Athletics today announced a transformational move to further strengthen its commitment to delivering a student-athlete experience which sets a national standard in college athletics. The department is centralizing student-athlete development programming under the leadership of Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Maria Sanchez, a strategic realignment that will place Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the foundation of the holistic support that the Robert E. and Emily H. King NU P.R.I.D.E. and Kabiller NU For Life Program delivers. In addition to her current role, Sanchez has over 15 years of experience leading and developing comprehensive student-athlete development programming.
As part of this investment, Northwestern is adding two new staff positions: the department's first-ever Director of the King NU P.R.I.D.E. Program (Student-Athlete Development), Ahmad Boyd, and a Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Fellow, Wildcats wrestling student-athlete and soon-to-be alumnus, D.J. Huff, in partnership with the Big Ten Conference.
"Aligning the Kabiller NU for Life and King NU P.R.I.D.E. Programs under one umbrella enhances our ability to deliver innovative and transformational programming," Sanchez said. "I believe deeply in the talents, vision, and passion that Kate Smith and Ahmad Boyd bring to the table as leaders of these respective programs, and our community will feel the immediate impact of their collaborative efforts. Further centering our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in this work will propel us forward as we strive to meet the evolving needs of a diverse population of student-athletes."
Boyd joined Northwestern in the summer of 2021 as Assistant Director of Career Enhancement and Employer Relations, after serving as the Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Support Services at Chicago State University. The two-time Ithaca College graduate also worked at his alma mater and Colby College early in his career. In Evanston he has been an advisor to the Black Student-Athlete Alliance and a steering committee member of the department's Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) Task Force. Nationally, he is the incoming chair of the Membership, Retention and Recruitment Committee for the National Association of Academics and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A).
The King NU P.R.I.D.E. Program has been the backbone of Northwestern's student-athlete leadership development, with major initiatives like the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, P.U.R.P.L.E. (Peers Urging Responsible Practices through Leadership & Education) Peer Mentors, Engage and Engage Affinity Spaces, and the Leadership Institute.
"I'm grateful to Dr. Gragg, Janna Blais and Maria Sanchez for this opportunity, and ecstatic about the future of student-athlete development here at Northwestern," said Boyd. "The chance to continue enhancing the foundation on which the King NU P.R.I.D.E. program was built is truly exciting. My goal has always been to support the holistic needs of our student-athletes and I'm privileged to be able to do so here at Northwestern where sincere advocacy for student-athlete development has resulted in this comprehensive vision."
The first phase of this strategic reorganization is a comprehensive review of Northwestern's impressive array of student-athlete development programming, with the ultimate goal of increasing efficiency and effectiveness in both content and delivery to benefit the University's more than 500 Wildcats. The process will identify where the department can improve and enhance its programming, with a strong focus on making D.E.I. a foundation of everything Northwestern Athletics does.
To that end, D.J. Huff has been selected as the department's first Diversity and Inclusion Fellow, a position created in partnership with the Big Ten Conference. The Cleveland native has been a member of the nationally-renowned Wildcats wrestling program over the last four years, and a devoted leader in the Northwestern student-athlete community. In addition to his efforts in the classroom and in competition, Huff is a P.U.R.P.L.E. Executive Board Member, a Kabiller NU For Life Advisory Board Member, and was part of NU's delegation on the B1G Life Series trip to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, in 2022. He is slated to graduate next month with a degree in Biology (Pre-Med) and minors in Global Health Studies and Economics.
As part of this investment, Northwestern is adding two new staff positions: the department's first-ever Director of the King NU P.R.I.D.E. Program (Student-Athlete Development), Ahmad Boyd, and a Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Fellow, Wildcats wrestling student-athlete and soon-to-be alumnus, D.J. Huff, in partnership with the Big Ten Conference.
"Aligning the Kabiller NU for Life and King NU P.R.I.D.E. Programs under one umbrella enhances our ability to deliver innovative and transformational programming," Sanchez said. "I believe deeply in the talents, vision, and passion that Kate Smith and Ahmad Boyd bring to the table as leaders of these respective programs, and our community will feel the immediate impact of their collaborative efforts. Further centering our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in this work will propel us forward as we strive to meet the evolving needs of a diverse population of student-athletes."
Boyd joined Northwestern in the summer of 2021 as Assistant Director of Career Enhancement and Employer Relations, after serving as the Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Support Services at Chicago State University. The two-time Ithaca College graduate also worked at his alma mater and Colby College early in his career. In Evanston he has been an advisor to the Black Student-Athlete Alliance and a steering committee member of the department's Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) Task Force. Nationally, he is the incoming chair of the Membership, Retention and Recruitment Committee for the National Association of Academics and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A).
The King NU P.R.I.D.E. Program has been the backbone of Northwestern's student-athlete leadership development, with major initiatives like the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, P.U.R.P.L.E. (Peers Urging Responsible Practices through Leadership & Education) Peer Mentors, Engage and Engage Affinity Spaces, and the Leadership Institute.
"I'm grateful to Dr. Gragg, Janna Blais and Maria Sanchez for this opportunity, and ecstatic about the future of student-athlete development here at Northwestern," said Boyd. "The chance to continue enhancing the foundation on which the King NU P.R.I.D.E. program was built is truly exciting. My goal has always been to support the holistic needs of our student-athletes and I'm privileged to be able to do so here at Northwestern where sincere advocacy for student-athlete development has resulted in this comprehensive vision."
The first phase of this strategic reorganization is a comprehensive review of Northwestern's impressive array of student-athlete development programming, with the ultimate goal of increasing efficiency and effectiveness in both content and delivery to benefit the University's more than 500 Wildcats. The process will identify where the department can improve and enhance its programming, with a strong focus on making D.E.I. a foundation of everything Northwestern Athletics does.
To that end, D.J. Huff has been selected as the department's first Diversity and Inclusion Fellow, a position created in partnership with the Big Ten Conference. The Cleveland native has been a member of the nationally-renowned Wildcats wrestling program over the last four years, and a devoted leader in the Northwestern student-athlete community. In addition to his efforts in the classroom and in competition, Huff is a P.U.R.P.L.E. Executive Board Member, a Kabiller NU For Life Advisory Board Member, and was part of NU's delegation on the B1G Life Series trip to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, in 2022. He is slated to graduate next month with a degree in Biology (Pre-Med) and minors in Global Health Studies and Economics.