Sharon Beverly Named Vice President of Athletics and Recreation

August 15, 2022

Submitted By: Office of Marketing and Communication

President Woodward and the University’s Board of Regents are pleased to announce Sharon Beverly, PhD, a nationally recognized leader in higher education, has been formally named the University’s vice president of athletics and recreation. Dr. Beverly had been the acting vice president since June of 2021. The position combines the leadership responsibilities of the University’s Director of Athletics with those of recreational health and fitness, intramurals, and club sports.

Frequently sought out for her insights, vision, and strategic approach, Dr. Beverly has meaningfully connected with our community since her arrival last year. She has been instrumental in our NCAA division transition approval, in addition to the acceptance into our new athletic conference, the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), beginning next year. Working with her colleagues in the Department of Athletics, she has overseen the creation of an athletics strategic plan that outlines our promising vision for the future. This year, the Department recruited 113 new student-athletes for the fall of 2022–one of the largest athletic recruiting successes in our school history.

Beverly came to Hartford with more than 30 years of higher education leadership experience in academic affairs, student affairs, and athletics at both private and public institutions. She enjoyed a successful 20-year career as a head women’s basketball coach at three different institutions, including 11 seasons at NCAA Division I-member Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame.

From 2002 to 2014, Beverly served at Vassar College, ten of which as the director of athletics and physical education, where she also chaired the school’s physical education department and was a tenured faculty member. Following her term at Vassar, she filled dual roles as assistant vice president for student affairs and executive director of athletics and recreation at the College of New Jersey. Since 2013, Beverly launched a consulting firm and continued teaching at Concordia University of Chicago, Rutgers University, and Immaculata University. She served as the interim director of athletics at Guilford College in North Carolina prior to joining the University last year.

Named one of the “30 Leading Women in Higher Education” by Diverse magazine, Beverly is a past president of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association, which promotes generating a sports culture that supports the values necessary to teach and learn respect for all. She has also chaired several NCAA committees, including the prestigious Woman of the Year Award.

Beverly received bachelor's and master’s degrees from Queens (N.Y.) College and earned her PhD with a specialization in Leadership for Higher Education from Capella University. She also played professional basketball in France after her undergraduate athletic career.

Beverly will continue to oversee all athletic teams and programs, in addition to working closely with the dean of students on partnership and oversight for intramural and club activities. She will also continue to provide leadership and guidance with our conference, as well as NCAA needs, timelines, and expectations. She looks forward to building upon the momentum and promise for Hartford Athletics in the coming year.