Kathryn Wilson, Kent State University economics professor, was honored by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and Fidelity Investments® with a faculty salute for her role as Kent State’s faculty athletics representative.
Wilson received this recognition due to student-athlete Jordan Italiano being named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete. Italiano, a chemistry major who achieved a 3.98 GPA in 2015, also received a $5,000 scholarship for the university that will go toward academic support services for student-athletes.
The National Football Foundation and Fidelity Investments worked together to create an initiative that recognized the critical role of faculty in supporting the interests of student-athletes nationwide and have been giving recognition and scholarship monies to universities since 2011.
As Kent State’s NCAA faculty athletics representative, Wilson is appointed by Kent State’s president to help oversee the relationship between student-athletes, their academics and faculty members.
“I make sure that student-athletes have access to the resources that they need to be successful in their academics as well as athletically,” Wilson says. “Working with all of the amazing, hardworking student-athletes at Kent State is very rewarding,”
“I am so proud of the student-athletes and the support staff in the athletic department,” Wilson says. “To see them being recognized for all they do is fabulous.”
Wilson says she owes this recognition to all of Italiano’s hard work.
“When I am recognized, I want to put all of that back on the students,” Wilson says. “The only reason I got recognized was because Jordan Italiano did a phenomenal job, and I am very proud of him.”
Wilson would like all student-athletes and faculty to know that she is here as a resource to them.
“I want student-athletes to know that they can come to me, someone outside of athletics, if they have a concern and don’t feel comfortable telling their coach,” Wilson says. “Also, I am somebody for faculty to come to if they have any concerns about student-athletes or athletics.”
For more information about the National Football Foundation, visit www.footballfoundation.org.
