Want to try and meet with 95 football players every other week, work with the university’s academic advisors, promote community service events and keep track of athletes’ hours, edit the student-athlete handbook, and constantly try to keep up with eligibility issues concerning student-athletes?
That’s what Diana Ulrey does as an academic coordinator here at NAU. Diana oversees the football team as well as women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s swimming and diving. She works with hundreds of athletes, making sure that they stay eligible, take the right courses, and succeed academically. It’s a big job, but Diana does it with a smile on her face.
Diana has been in the athletic department for a year. Before that she worked with NAU’s Extended Campus Program as an accounting specialist. Previous to working at NAU, Diana was a park ranger in Wupatki National Monument for a year and in Alaska for a summer. The Tulsa native graduated from Clemson University with a degree in history. She also competed on the crew team.
In her spare time, Diana enjoys hiking, exploring new coffee houses, and attending concerts. She always wanted to be involved in athletics, but wasn’t sure in what capacity until she began working in the athletic department. “I like interacting with the student-athletes one on one,” she said. “I like that every part of the job is to help student-athletes succeed.”
Diana has a thankless job that requires many hours. She is expected to know how each and every football player is doing in his classes. She collects players’ class attendance sheets and also keeps track of their study hall hours. She does a great job and is a valued member of our staff.
