A faculty member in Applied Indigenous Studies who is an advocate for college athletes will have additional opportunities to pursue her personal and academic interests.<\/p>\n
NAU President Rita Cheng<\/strong> announced that Alisse Ali-Joseph<\/strong> has been appointed as the university\u2019s new faculty athletic representative, a position mandated by the NCAA to ensure student-athletes maintain balance between academics and athletics.<\/p>\n “Alisse\u2019s interest in the transformative power of collegiate athletics will bring a unique insight to this role,\u201d Cheng said. “She understands that for many students participating in athletics is what makes education feel more accessible and gives them the skills to succeed in life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe faculty representative plays a crucial role in a lot of different areas from student-athlete welfare to supporting our students academically,\u201d said Lisa Campos<\/strong>, vice president of intercollegiate athletics. \u201cAli-Jospeh\u2019s academic passions are going to fit well with things we are trying to do with our department.\u201d<\/p>\n As Ali-Joseph played tennis at U.C. Davis, she noticed very few other Native Americans in college sports. She decided to study this phenomenon at the University of Arizona, where she earned a master\u2019s and Ph.D.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaying tennis provided a wonderful opportunity for me to get an education. I wondered why there are so few Native Americans pursuing a sport in college and how we could change that,\u201d Ali-Joseph said.<\/p>\n As a member of the Choctaw Tribe, Ali-Joseph wants to encourage Native American high school students to pursue college athletics. In her new role, she looks forward to supporting all student-athletes at the collegiate level.<\/p>\n \u201cI have experience on many levels that will help me working with the administration, the coaches and most importantly the student-athletes,\u201d said Ali-Joseph, who has a passion for seeing more student-athletes graduate from college.<\/p>\n Ali-Joseph will fill the spot vacated by Deborah Craig<\/strong>, an associate professor and Athletic Training Education Program director, who held the faculty athletic representative position for two years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"