July 17, 2015

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Names New Director of Athletics

Troy, N.Y. - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has named Dr. Lee A. McElroy Jr. as director of athletics, after serving as an interim director. The appointment was effective July 1, 2015. Dr. McElroy is responsible for overseeing 12 men’s and 11 women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) intercollegiate teams (two Division I and 21 Division III), involving more than 550 student-athletes, as well as the Intramural Sports Program, which engages over 2,000 students.

“At Rensselaer,” said President Shirley Ann Jackson, “our expectations for our students are very high: we expect them to change the world. We are very pleased that someone of the stature, experience, and intellectual agility of Dr. McElroy will be directing Rensselaer Athletics—and guiding, encouraging, and developing the remarkable young men and women who attend Rensselaer.”

“I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson for the opportunity to serve as the director of athletics at RPI,” said Dr. McElroy. “During my interim appointment, I worked closely with Dr. Jackson and the campus leadership to further our focus on supporting student-athletes on and off the field with programmatic and leadership opportunities that embody the Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students (CLASS) approach to the Rensselaer student experience. The student athletes, coaches, and staff are dedicated to attaining excellence in academics, athletics, and leadership—which is embedded in The Rensselaer Plan 2024 and a critical part of the vision for The New Polytechnic.”

Dr. McElroy served as vice president and director of athletics at the University at Albany for 14 years. During this time, he was appointed to the NCAA Management Council and elected president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA); won three America East Commissioner's Cups; earned 32 NCAA post-season berths; won 74 America East conference titles; was named to the NACDA Hall of Fame in 2012; served as president of the American East Board of Directors 2007 and 2011; and served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the United States Sports Academy.

During his more than three decades of athletics administration experience, Dr. McElroy also served as athletics director at several other prominent universities, including American University and California State University. He also served as associate director of athletics at the University of Houston.

Dr. McElroy received a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Houston, a master’s degree in education from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s of science degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was a three-year letterman on the UCLA football team.

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