IU Athletics to Host First Women’s Excellence Symposium Aug. 13
8/2/2022 10:30:00 AM | General, Women's Basketball, Women's Cross Country, Women's Golf, Women's Rowing, Women's Soccer, Women's Swimming and Diving, Women's Tennis, Women's Track and Field, Women's Volleyball, Women's Water Polo, Varsity Club, Capital
Bloomington, Indiana –IU Athletics will host the inaugural Women's Excellence Symposium Aug. 13 in Bloomington, with Indianapolis Colts Vice Chair/Owner Kalen Jackson serving as featured keynote speaker at the event.
The Women's Excellence Symposium is open to the public and will serve as an opportunity for IU alumni, fans, and friends to gather for a day of camaraderie and connection in support of IU's varsity women's athletic programs and student-athletes. All symposium events will take place on the IU Athletics campus, beginning at 10 a.m. with a welcome from Indiana University President Pamela Whitten and Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson.
In addition to Jackson's keynote, Naples Trust Company Vice President Dena Rae Hancock will also be a featured speaker at the event. Following the morning keynotes, afternoon activities include an opportunity for attendees to select from multiple breakout sessions focused on important intercollegiate athletics issues, including personal branding and the age of NIL; the impact of Title IX; and mental health and wellness. The symposium will conclude with a 4:30 p.m. reception at the Henke Hall of Champions.
A limited number of tickets are available to the public and can be purchased here.
The symposium is a feature component of IU Athletics Women's Excellence Initiative, which was launched in 2021 with the express goal of providing the financial and personnel resources to enhance the student-athlete experience for IU's 300-plus female student athletes and 13 women's varsity programs. Thanks to a tremendous early response, the Women's Excellence Initiative has already funded capital projects that wouldn't have been otherwise possible for Rowing, Softball and Field Hockey as well as a foreign trip for the IU Volleyball program.
"Enhancing the student-athlete experience for our nearly 300 female student-athletes has been one of my top priorities, and I'm excited to bring so many different groups together for our first Women's Excellence Symposium," said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. "This event will be a great way to bring an amazing and passionate group of advocates for IU women's athletics together as one. It will also provide a chance to hear about the opportunities and challenges that female student-athletes and programs face in this new era of intercollegiate athletics."
A 2010 Indiana University graduate, Jackson joined the Indianapolis Colts staff in June of 2010 as a vice president and now serves as vice chair/owner of the NFL franchise. Her responsibilities with the franchise have been wide-ranging, including corporate sales, community outreach, and representing the Colts at the annual NFL Owners Meetings. She is also the president of the Indianapolis Colts Women's Organization, serves on the board of the United Way of Central Indiana, and has been an outspoken advocate for recognizing and addressing the challenges associated with mental health. She was a driving force in the creation of the Indianapolis Colts' Kicking The Stigma Initiative in 2020, an effort to raise awareness about mental health disorders and remove the shame and stigma too often associated with these illnesses.
About IU Women's Excellence
The mission of Indiana University Athletics Women's Excellence is to raise private support to elevate our 13 women's varsity sports and to enhance the overall student-athlete experience of IU's female student-athletes. We aspire to empower our IU women to develop athletically, academically, and personally while they are IU students so that they can excel in all aspects of life once they graduate. Funds raised for Indiana Women's Excellence will be directed to critical needs and timely opportunities that require resources outside the normal operating budget. These expenditures are often what create the margin of excellence that provides a competitive advantage for Indiana's varsity teams. Areas of focus include capital projects, foreign tours, student-athlete experience, career development, and team building.
For more information on Women's Excellence, please visit: https://iuvarsityclub.com/womensexcellence.
The Women's Excellence Symposium is open to the public and will serve as an opportunity for IU alumni, fans, and friends to gather for a day of camaraderie and connection in support of IU's varsity women's athletic programs and student-athletes. All symposium events will take place on the IU Athletics campus, beginning at 10 a.m. with a welcome from Indiana University President Pamela Whitten and Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson.
In addition to Jackson's keynote, Naples Trust Company Vice President Dena Rae Hancock will also be a featured speaker at the event. Following the morning keynotes, afternoon activities include an opportunity for attendees to select from multiple breakout sessions focused on important intercollegiate athletics issues, including personal branding and the age of NIL; the impact of Title IX; and mental health and wellness. The symposium will conclude with a 4:30 p.m. reception at the Henke Hall of Champions.
A limited number of tickets are available to the public and can be purchased here.
The symposium is a feature component of IU Athletics Women's Excellence Initiative, which was launched in 2021 with the express goal of providing the financial and personnel resources to enhance the student-athlete experience for IU's 300-plus female student athletes and 13 women's varsity programs. Thanks to a tremendous early response, the Women's Excellence Initiative has already funded capital projects that wouldn't have been otherwise possible for Rowing, Softball and Field Hockey as well as a foreign trip for the IU Volleyball program.
"Enhancing the student-athlete experience for our nearly 300 female student-athletes has been one of my top priorities, and I'm excited to bring so many different groups together for our first Women's Excellence Symposium," said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Dolson. "This event will be a great way to bring an amazing and passionate group of advocates for IU women's athletics together as one. It will also provide a chance to hear about the opportunities and challenges that female student-athletes and programs face in this new era of intercollegiate athletics."
A 2010 Indiana University graduate, Jackson joined the Indianapolis Colts staff in June of 2010 as a vice president and now serves as vice chair/owner of the NFL franchise. Her responsibilities with the franchise have been wide-ranging, including corporate sales, community outreach, and representing the Colts at the annual NFL Owners Meetings. She is also the president of the Indianapolis Colts Women's Organization, serves on the board of the United Way of Central Indiana, and has been an outspoken advocate for recognizing and addressing the challenges associated with mental health. She was a driving force in the creation of the Indianapolis Colts' Kicking The Stigma Initiative in 2020, an effort to raise awareness about mental health disorders and remove the shame and stigma too often associated with these illnesses.
About IU Women's Excellence
The mission of Indiana University Athletics Women's Excellence is to raise private support to elevate our 13 women's varsity sports and to enhance the overall student-athlete experience of IU's female student-athletes. We aspire to empower our IU women to develop athletically, academically, and personally while they are IU students so that they can excel in all aspects of life once they graduate. Funds raised for Indiana Women's Excellence will be directed to critical needs and timely opportunities that require resources outside the normal operating budget. These expenditures are often what create the margin of excellence that provides a competitive advantage for Indiana's varsity teams. Areas of focus include capital projects, foreign tours, student-athlete experience, career development, and team building.
For more information on Women's Excellence, please visit: https://iuvarsityclub.com/womensexcellence.
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