SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore College Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation is thrilled to announce the hiring of Christina Epps-Chiazor as the inaugural Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Diversity & Inclusion, announced on Wednesday.
Having served as an assistant athletic director for nearly a decade, Epps-Chiazor brings a diverse range of expertise and experience to the department's newest role.
"We are excited to welcome Christina to our College community," said Brad Koch, Director of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation. "I believe her experience in the fields of compliance, DEI, and student-athlete growth & development will positively impact our department in a myriad of ways. Christina's vision, leadership style, and understanding of this role aligns directly with similar cross cutting themes across campus - inclusivity, collaboration, governance, and building community. A new position to this department, I look forward to working with her to bring this role to life and become an influential resource for student-athletes, athletics faculty, and staff."
Epps-Chiazor most recently served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance/SWA at Delaware State University, where she acted as the unit lead for the Office of Compliance & Student-Athlete Services. In her role, she was the primary liaison to the Offices of Academic Services for Student-Athletes, Registrar, & Admissions. She also received her Master of Science in Sport Administration from Delaware State.
During her five-year stint with the Hornets, Epps-Chiazor had a significant impact on the student-athletes through the development and implementation of impactful support programs and workshops. She also spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive rules education program for coaches, student-athletes, and staff.
Epps-Chiazor also collaborated with DSU's Diversity & Inclusion unit to develop a DEI plan for Athletics. The purpose of the plan was to provide a review of the current DEI climate and identify opportunities for programming efforts. Highlights of the plan included: surveying student-athletes and staff to get real-time and honest feedback on the DEI climate, as well as feedback regarding experiences, thoughts, needs, and programming ideas. She was also tasked with coordinating DEI education for student-athletes, coaches, and staff along with campus partners; aligning Athletics DEI initiatives with the broader campus community; and, creating a DEI-focused group of student-athletes to communicate issues, needs, and wants in the DEI space while also focusing on programming efforts and collaboration with other campus organizations.
In 2015, Epps-Chiazor began her administrative career as the Assistant Athletic Director of Academics & Compliance at Coppin State University. She spent four years with her alma mater as a student-athlete mentor, promoting academic growth and school engagement. Epps-Chiazor provided counseling on academic concerns, eligibility requirements, competition scheduling conflicts, and other concerns unique to the student-athlete population.
While serving as an assistant athletic director, Epps-Chiazor was an assistant on the track & field and volleyball coaching staffs, while also representing the department as the SAAC advisor. In her advisory role, Epps-Chiazor led SAAC meetings to address student-athlete issues, while providing guidance on NCAA legislation, academic concerns and athletic trends.
Before beginning her professional career, Epps-Chiazor spent six seasons as a member of the Coppin State track & field and volleyball teams from 2009-2014.
In addition to maintaining high academic standards with five-consecutive Dean's List selections, Epps-Chiazor put together an incredibly accomplished athletic career. The multi-sport standout was a six-time MEAC Conference Champion in the triple jump and two-time ECAC Champion in the event. She was also a five-time recipient of Coppin State's Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year in 2010, Eagle Award recipient in 2012 and 2014, and Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2014. In her final year with the Bald Eagles, Epps-Chiazor was named the 2014 MEAC Woman of the Year and was one of the NCAA's Top-30 Women of the Year finalists.
After graduating from Coppin State with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Epps-Chiazor continued her athletic career as a member of the United States Olympic Team. The triple jumper competed in numerous conference and qualifying events, leading to her participation in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
She set a personal record in the triple jump with a 14.17m mark at the 2016 USATF Olympic Trial Championships, and went on to capture two USA Triple Jump National Championships during her athletic career. In 2016, Epps-Chiazor ranked as one of the Top-25 triple jumpers in the world.
"I am extremely excited to be joining the Swarthmore College team," said Epps-Chiazor. "I would like to thank Brad Koch, Dr. Val Gomez, and the entire search committee for the opportunity to serve in this position. I am looking forward to collaborating with the student athletes, coaches, and campus community to support both the diversity & inclusion and compliance initiatives that Swarthmore is looking to achieve. I am honored to have been chosen to serve and hope to be an integral part of the athletic administration team!"
Epps-Chiazor will begin her new role with the Garnet on Monday, August 12.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
"Thanks to the NCAA's Strategic Alliance Matching Grant and support from the College, we are ecstatic to add this important position to our department's leadership team. Christina's extensive involvement managing NCAA compliance, her excitement to lead and grow our DEI efforts, her demonstrated emphasis on building relationships, and her commitment to supporting the holistic student-athlete experience will benefit our entire department, and campus, tremendously. As a seasoned administrator, she brings a range of experiences that will undoubtedly serve her well as she will have significant involvement across many of our administrative areas. I am excited for Christina to join our team!" - Val Gomez, Associate Director of Athletics/SWA
"I strongly believe that Christina will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to Athletics for both DEI and compliance. I am excited to collaborate on inclusive excellence programming with her energetic personality that will inevitably draw in students and staff." - Tiffany Thompson, Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence
"Christina brings a level of competence and expertise to our compliance program that will elevate the professionalism with which we operate as a department. Her experience and organizational skills will be a major asset to our programs as she assumes these responsibilities. Not only will she enable us to be more prepared going into each season, but she will continue to educate students and coaching personnel on the best ways to navigate the NCAA landscape more effectively." - Eric Wagner, Head Men's Soccer Coach
