ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T Director of Athletics Melissa Ringhausen has announced Susan Cochran as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Alumni and Community Relations.
 
Cochran joined the Missouri S&T athletic department in 2017 as a Student Support Specialist where she planned and executed events benefiting current and alumni student-athletes, such as the annual Miner Athletic Hall of Fame and Academy of Miner Athletics induction ceremonies, the sash ceremony for graduating student-athletes, and the department's annual donation fund mailing.
 
In March of 2022, Cochran was elevated to External Relations and Programming Associate with added responsibilities for planning and executing alumni engagement activities and assisting in increasing and securing corporate club sponsorships.
 
In her new role, Cochran will serve as the primary contact for alumni and community relations and will have game management and supervisory responsibilities.
 
"Since my arrival, Susan's role in the department has changed dramatically," Ringhausen said.  "Her responsibilities have grown to primarily center around building relationships with alumni and members of the community, increasing corporate club sponsorships, assisting with the Academy of Miner Athletics and much more.
 
"She has great relationships with many of our alumni and is well-known in the community," Ringhausen added. "Over the past two and a half years, she has become an integral part of the administrative team and I am happy to have her on-board in this capacity."
 
Prior to coming to S&T, Cochran worked in the pharmaceutical industry at Ateb Inc, Express Scripts, and Medicine Shoppe International Inc.  Cochran has more than nineteen years of experience in project management, building client relationships, contract negotiations, and strategic planning from development through implementation.  "These skills are transferable to the athletic industry, are an asset to the department, and have been instrumental in her growth within Miner Athletics," says Ringhausen.   
 
Cochran is no stranger to athletics.  She was a four-year NCAA Division II student-athlete on the women's soccer team at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she earned a bachelor's of science degree in political science with a minor in English.  She was on the athletic staff at Fontbonne University serving as the senior woman administrator, and during her tenure earned a master's of business administration degree.