UniveRsity of HaRtfoRd - Hartford Hawks
UniveRsity of HaRtfoRd - Hartford Hawks
UniveRsity of HaRtfoRd - Hartford Hawks
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Di r e c t o r o f At h l e t i c s<br />
Pat Meiser, in her 16th year at the University <strong>of</strong> <strong>Hartford</strong>, serves as the<br />
director <strong>of</strong> athletics and special assistant to the president.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> only 22 women director <strong>of</strong> athletics among the 329 institutions<br />
competing at the Division I level, Meiser has 37 years <strong>of</strong> experience<br />
in coaching and athletics administration. In May <strong>of</strong> 1999, she was named<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the nation’s top 50 women’s sports executives by Street & Smith’s<br />
Sports Business Journal, and in June <strong>of</strong> 2006 she was named the Northeast<br />
Region I-AAA GeneralSports TURF Systems Athletics Director <strong>of</strong> the Year.<br />
At <strong>Hartford</strong>, Meiser heads a team that is responsible for growing the<br />
athletics and academic quality <strong>of</strong> the program, enhancing revenue and<br />
extending the program into the community.<br />
In Meiser’s tenure, seven sports (women’s basketball, men’s soccer,<br />
women’s soccer, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s volleyball)<br />
have won America East Conference championships and either<br />
reached NCAA Division I tournament or national postseason play. Basketball,<br />
in particular, has emerged with Meiser’s hiring <strong>of</strong> Jennifer Rizzotti<br />
and Dan Leibovitz. The women’s basketball team has been crowned<br />
America East Conference champion and reached the NCAA Tournament in<br />
2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008. The men’s team set a school record with 18<br />
wins in 2007-08 and advanced to the America East Championship finals<br />
for the first time in school history.<br />
Revenue enhancement has also been an area <strong>of</strong> growth for <strong>Hartford</strong><br />
under Meiser’s leadership. This has taken place through an expanded fund<br />
raising and alumni relations effort, development <strong>of</strong> a corporate sponsorship<br />
program, implementation <strong>of</strong> a licensing program and successful grant<br />
submissions. Most significantly, <strong>Hartford</strong> athletics embarked on a $10 million<br />
athletics capital campaign in April <strong>of</strong> 2003. The campaign, called<br />
Home Field Advantage, funded the renovation <strong>of</strong> the existing soccer and<br />
lacrosse field, the relocation and construction <strong>of</strong> a s<strong>of</strong>tball field, the construction<br />
<strong>of</strong> a baseball field and will include construction <strong>of</strong> a track surrounding<br />
an all-purpose field. The ground breaking for Home Field Advantage<br />
took place in April <strong>of</strong> 2005, and Phase I <strong>of</strong> the project was<br />
completed in 2007. Phase II is presently under way.<br />
Meiser’s commitment to academics is well documented and demonstrated<br />
through the success <strong>of</strong> her student-athletes. <strong>Hartford</strong><br />
has been among the leaders in The America’s East’s Academic<br />
Cup standings each <strong>of</strong> the past 10 years. The <strong>Hawks</strong> won<br />
the Cup in 1996-97. This past academic year, the average<br />
student-athlete GPA was 2.98.<br />
Reaching out in the community is important for Meiser.<br />
She is past chair <strong>of</strong> the Greater <strong>Hartford</strong> Convention and<br />
Visitors Bureau and her appointment came at a critical<br />
time as the city opened a $350 million convention center.<br />
Meiser was named a Connecticut “Woman <strong>of</strong> Merit” by<br />
the Girl Scouts in June 2000. She is a board member <strong>of</strong><br />
both the Connecticut Special Olympics and the Connecticut<br />
Women’s Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame. In October <strong>of</strong> 2007, Meiser<br />
served as Co-Chair <strong>of</strong> the CWHF Gala that celebrated<br />
the 35th anniversary <strong>of</strong> Title IX. The evening brought<br />
together the top female Olympians and national<br />
champions with ties to the state <strong>of</strong> Connecticut.<br />
Meiser has also been involved with various intercollegiate<br />
committees and organizations at the conference,<br />
regional and national levels. She serves on<br />
the Executive Committee <strong>of</strong> NACDA and is a past<br />
President <strong>of</strong> the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors<br />
Association (NACDA), has been a pr<strong>of</strong>essional sport<br />
liaison, member <strong>of</strong> the soccer rules committee and<br />
Patricia H.<br />
Meiser<br />
Sp e c i a l Assistant to<br />
t h e President/<br />
Director o f Athletics<br />
active as a NCAA Certification<br />
representative. Over the<br />
years, she has also served a<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> roles in the America<br />
East Conference and is presently<br />
a member <strong>of</strong> the Executive<br />
Committee.<br />
Prior to joining the <strong>Hawks</strong>,<br />
Meiser was the associate athletics<br />
director for administration<br />
and senior women’s<br />
administrator at the University<br />
<strong>of</strong> Connecticut. During her<br />
10 years at Connecticut, she<br />
played a pivotal role in the<br />
rejuvenation <strong>of</strong> the athletics<br />
program.<br />
Before arriving at Connecticut,<br />
Meiser was the head<br />
women’s basketball coach<br />
and a tenured faculty member<br />
at Penn State (1971-81).<br />
She gave the first women’s<br />
basketball scholarship at<br />
Penn State in 1974 and advanced<br />
the program to Top-20 status in the late 1970s. In addition, she<br />
coached the Gold Medal-winning East team in the inaugural 1979 National<br />
Sports Festival.<br />
Meiser holds a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education<br />
(1969) from West Chester University and a M.Ed. in education (1971)<br />
and an MBA in business administration (1986) from Penn State. She is a<br />
native <strong>of</strong> Lancaster, PA, and has four children: Katherine, 36, wife <strong>of</strong> Jason<br />
Steadman <strong>of</strong> London; Christopher, 34, husband <strong>of</strong> Renee Jansen, Boston;<br />
Julie, 32, wife <strong>of</strong> Robert Rioux <strong>of</strong> State College, PA; and Daniel, 30, West<br />
<strong>Hartford</strong>. She also has one grandson, Lincoln.<br />
Records <strong>Hartford</strong> Opponents America East 2006-07 Players Coaches Preview<br />
Fo u r NCAA To u r n a m e n t Ap p e a r a n c e s (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008)<br />
79