Alderson to lead Student-Athlete Development

Grand Canyon Athletics announced the addition of Nicole Alderson as the Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development on Monday. Alderson spent the past six years at Florida Atlantic, most recently serving as Assistant Athletic Director and the Director of Student-Athlete Development for four years.

"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to join the Lopes family," Alderson said. "From the moment I stepped on campus, I could feel the energy and knew GCU was a special place."

In her role at GCU, Alderson will lead a department tasked with developing Lopes student-athletes off the field. This includes academics, leadership training, career development and more.

"I look forward to leading the team and providing the student-athletes with holistic programming to prepare them for excellence academically, athletically and personally," Alderson said. "I thank (Vice President of Athletics) Jamie Boggs and (Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director) Nick Ojea for this opportunity and putting their trust and faith in me to lead the Student-Athlete Development department. This is a truly exciting time for GCU, and I am honored to be a part of it."

At Florida Atlantic, Alderson assisted in the leadership of the Student-Athlete Success Center, where nine full-time staff members and five graduate assistants support 450 student-athletes in academic counseling, life skills development, career development and tutoring. She handled the academic supervision of the football and men's golf teams while providing administrative oversight of the women's volleyball program.

Prior to her time at FAU, Alderson worked at her alma mater, Louisville, as the assistant director of academic and vocational services.

"We are truly excited to welcome Nicole to Grand Canyon University," Boggs said. "She is a strong leader who fits our collaborative culture and has a student-centered vision that will continue to grow our Student-Athlete Development area. We strive to be an industry leader in holistically developing our student-athletes and Nicole has the experience and drive to take us to the next level."

Alderson was a student-athlete during her time at Louisville as a four-year letterwinner on the rowing team. A native of Carlisle, Ontario, Canada, Alderson earned a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance, with a double concentration in exercise science and physical education, and a Master of Science in Sport Administration from Louisville.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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