|
Features: June 3, 2002
New Athletic Director Named
Eddie Ade Knowles, vice president of student life, introduced Ken Ralph as the new director of athletics at Rensselaer Thursday, May 30 at a 3:30 p.m. press conference in the Mueller Center.
At Rensselaer, Ralph will oversee the Institute’s 23 NCAA intercollegiate varsity teams – 11 of which are women’s – and three junior varsity squads, involving nearly 600 students. He inherits a men’s ice hockey team with a 100-year tradition of excellence that was ranked nationally last year in the top 15. The 2001 varsity football team finished the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record and was the top seed in the Division III NCAA playoffs. The 2001 women’s soccer team set a school record for wins in a season (17-3-0), and the women’s field hockey team ranked among the top 20 in the nation in 2001 and claimed the state championship. The 2002 men’s baseball team ranked 11th in the country in Division III and advanced to the Division III College World Series, reaching the second round of play, for the second time in its history. During the 2001-2002 season, 117 Rensselaer student-athletes were named to All-Academic teams by the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association in which they compete.
“Ken Ralph’s enthusiasm, team-building skills, and passion for creating a ‘whole’ student-athlete are the right mix for Rensselaer’s athletic programs,” said President Shirley Ann Jackson. “A critical part of the Rensselaer Plan is to create a vibrant campus community and athletics is a cornerstone of the student experience. I look forward to working with Ken to take our entire athletic program to new heights.”
Ralph is senior assistant athletic director at Connecticut College in New London, Conn., where he oversees a 26-team Division III sports program and directs The Lott Natatorium. Ralph heads athletic program development, is the NCAA compliance officer, and supervises the coaching staff and the sports information office. At Connecticut College he serves as a member of the Athletic Director’s Advisory Committee and the Athletic Management Committee. He secured a gift of $500,000 to renovate the college’s natatorium, then called The Gordon Center. The gift covered overall improvements to the facility and a substantial endowment for future maintenance.
“Together we can re-energize Rensselaer athletics and provide all of the student-athletes tremendous opportunities to reach their goals in the classroom, on the fields of play, and in the community,” said Ralph.
He will begin his tenure at Rensselaer in July.
To read the press release, click here.
|
