FACULTY NOMINATIONS TO THE ATHLETIC BOARD
MARTIN CAMARGO
English
Martin Camargo is Professor of English and Medieval Studies. He did his graduate work at the University of Illinois, where he earned the PhD in 1978. Before returning to Urbana-Champaign, he taught for more than two decades at the University of Missouri's flagship campus in Columbia. He served as Chair of English at Missouri (2000-2003) and as Head of English at Illinois (2003-2008), and has been a member of many college and campus committees at both universities. As a two-term member of MU's Intercollegiate Athletics Committee (1994-1996, 1999-2002), he is familiar with the issues surrounding Division I athletics and with the responsibilities associated with membership on the University of Illinois Athletic Board.
CHARLES COX
Molecular and Integrative Physiology
I am extremely interested in becoming a faculty representative on the Athletic Board because I believe in the academic development and support of student athletes and would like to extend my involvement in University-wide programs. I am an Associate Professor Molecular and Integrative Physiology Department in Liberal Arts and Sciences and Head of the Pharmacology Department in the College of Medicine. I have served on and chaired Graduate Admissions Committee at both the department level and for the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program. I have served on numerous committees at the department, school, and campus level committees. My major teaching commitment is Human Pharmacology, which focuses on the actions of agents affecting the nervous system to 2nd year medical students, and I also teach a portion of Introductory Neurophysiology to upper division undergraduate students.
During my undergraduate years, I played NCAA tennis for the University of California at Riverside. At that time, UCR was a top 20, division II program, so scholarship support was quite limited. Despite limited financial support, countless hours of training and competing as an athlete scholar was critical in my academic development. I understand the demands of combining competitive athletics with rigorous education. These pursuits of academics and athletics are not mutually exclusive, but synergistically combine to make a well-rounded University experience. It is critical to foster the student athlete experience to allow these students to compete at their greatest potential, but more importantly, to allow them a first-rate university education and prepare them for their future careers. As a member of the Athletic Board, I would support the continued development of highly competitive Big Ten conference athletic programs, alongside the expectation of a first class educational experience here at Illinois.
RAYVON FOUCHÉ
History
Dr. Fouché is currently Associate Professor of History, Research Associate Professor at the Information Trust Institute, and an Affiliate Faculty member in the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies. At the University of Illinois he serves on the Graduate College’s fellowship board for Underrepresented Students, advises the Science and Technology in Society minor, is a member of the Campus Advisory Committee for the Stewarding Excellence @ Illinois initiative, and currently directs the Center for Advanced Study initiative “Interpreting Technoscience: Explorations in Identity, Culture and Democracy.”
Fouché’s current research and teaching examines the relationships between sport, science, and technology. He has written about the efforts to use biological passports to follow performance. His examination of the historical relationships between sport and governance is relevant to the charge of the Advisory Board. As an undergraduate at the University of Illinois, Fouché co-founded the Illini Cycling Team in order to enable student cyclists to compete in the Collegiate National Championships. As a competitive cyclist, he has trained at the Olympic Training Center and competed in the 1992 United States Olympic Road Cycling trials.
BRENT ROBERTS
Psychology
My interest in joining the Athletic Board is motivated by my professional and personal experiences. On a professional level, I have had some extraordinarily rewarding experiences mentoring student athletes. At both of the University of Tulsa and here at the University of Illinois, I worked with student athletes on research projects that were instrumental to their careers, as well as to basic science. While at the University of Tulsa, I worked with Bonnie Angelone (Softball; now an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Rowan University) on a longitudinal study of student athletes and how experiences in sports and other activities shaped students’ self-concepts over time (this paper was published in 2004). This project was Bonnie’s senior thesis and was instrumental in shaping her interests in pursuing a career as a professor in psychology.
Here at Illinois, I worked with Michelle Webb on her Psychology Honor’s thesis (Tennis; now a graduate student in Cognitive Psychology). She studied the personality and motivational antecedents to objective assessments of physical fitness. We published her undergraduate thesis in a top scientific journal and Michelle and I co-authored a book chapter before she moved on to graduate school. As a graduate student, Michelle and I, along with several other researchers, conducted a study on the cognitive benefits of high-level sporting activities on cognitive functioning that was funded by the NCAA and just published last year. Working with these two student-athletes was by itself highly rewarding, but particularly striking as they excelled as students while simultaneously managing the day-to-day challenges of participating in Division I sports.
On another professional level, my research has recently turned towards issues of health and the psychological factors that contribute to better health. A significant focus of my research is on factors such as physical activity and how people continue to maintain fitness even into old age. This research points to the importance of early athletic opportunities and the challenges of continuing to be active when institutional support found in educational systems no longer exists in peoples’ lives.
Combining athletic activities and educational and work experiences is also salient to me on a personal level. I have been an amateur athlete for many years, having played competitive volleyball and tennis for several decades. More recently I joined the ranks of age-group triathletes (read: old and slow). These personal experiences make it even more clear how difficult it is to combine avocations like sporting activities with one’s vocation. It also makes it clear just how important it is for one’s health and well-being.
All of these issues were brought into stark relief when I served on the NCAA certification review committee for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. I was impressed with the fact that the DIA’s aspirations for athletic success were only surpassed by its dedication to the integrity of amateur sports. I was also impressed with how challenging it was to reach the ideals of “student athlete” in today’s educational and athletic environment. I see the opportunity to serve on the Athletic Board as a chance to do what I can to make that type of ideal experience more common for future University of Illinois athletes.
STUDENT NOMINATIONS TO THE ATHLETIC BOARD
ADAM BOOHER
Engineering Mechanics
If there are two elements beyond academics that have defined my time at the University of Illinois, they are leadership roles and Illini Sports. As a student majoring in Engineering Mechanics, I have been very involved in various groups. I have taken on multiple leadership roles with the Society for Experimental Mechanics. As president, I guided the student group through several design projects. I also consulted with the administrative faculty of the Mechanical Science and Engineering Department on various issues at monthly meetings. I am one of the founders of the Illini Prosthetics Team, a group dedicated to providing low cost prosthetic devices for amputees in underdeveloped countries. In these roles, I have developed leadership qualities that make me an excellent candidate for a position on the Campus Athletic Board.
In addition to my leadership experience, I have always had a great appreciation for Big Ten, and specifically Illinois sports. Illini pride runs deep in my veins, having grown up in a central Illinois family of loyal Illinois fans. While attending the University of Illinois, I have manifested this attribute by being active in both Orange Krush and Block I. I have also attended Volleyball, Gymnastics, and Track events to name a few. This appreciation for Illinois athletics in conjunction with my leadership experience will help me to be a valuable member of the Campus Athletic Board if I am selected. Thank you for your consideration.
KYLE BRANYIK
Business
It would be a privilege to serve on the Athletic Board and I would like to present myself to the ISS as a potential candidate. Early on during my tenure at the University I have strived to become involved and make a difference to student life. For example, I have served on the Tenant Union Advisory Board for three years where I have a vested interest in continually improving this excellent service for students. Working with the Tenant Union I worked to modernize our marketing efforts to reach out to more students, and we have seen a steady increase in students serve.
In addition I have served on the Service Fee Advisory Committee for two years as a student representative. The committee has given me a great opportunity to learn and shape student programs at the University of Illinois. As a representative of the student body, I have experience analyzing potential programs and funding issues objectively in what is the best interest of the entire student population. I am familiar with the budgetary process and funding that goes into Campus Recreation as well as the athletic program. Also, I am a chairman of the Student Scholarship Committee where I lead healthy discussions to select qualified scholarship recipients. Involvement with the University is my passion. As a member of the Athletic Board I would continue to bring my passion and experience to a vital part of student life- our athletic program.
Outside of student committees, I am also a project manager of Illinois Business Consulting. Here I have lead a team of diverse students on various client engagements. I often prepare the meeting agenda, follow-up with my team and communicate directly with our client. I have also dedicated my time to advancing the University of Illinois nationally, competing in business case competitions. This past year I competed in the Johnson & Johnson and KPMG case competitions on campus where our team placed first. We then travelled to nationals representing the University of Illinois as proud Illini.
Like many on campus, I am an avid follower of our Illini- whether it be football, basketball or volleyball. I am dedicated to making our athletic department one of the best in the Big Ten conference. With my past student leadership experience, I believe I would make an excellent candidate for this position.
AKSHAY EKKUNDI
Electrical Engineering
My name is Akshay Ekkundi and I am a Junior majoring in Electrical Engineering from Basel, Switzerland. Coming to Illinois I had absolutely no knowledge about football and very little knowledge about basketball. But as soon as I got here I discovered my hidden love for these sports. Ever since I watched the Fighting Illini play Mizzou I was hooked. I have not missed a single football game since. After that came the basketball season which I was looking forward to a lot because I had heard that our school had been the Alma Mater of Deron Williams, and it did not disappoint. To this day I try to watch or at least find out live scores of every Illini game that is on.
I feel I would be a great candidate to be on the athletic board because I am passionate about any kind of sport played. I admire the intensity and the passion both in the players and the fans during games. I also have played sport all my life. Having lived in India I played the sport of cricket since I was a kid and I continue to play cricket on campus also through the RSO the Illini Cricket Club and am part of a team that has made it to the finals 3 semesters in a row. I have also participated in various intramurals such as soccer and flag football in my previous 5 semesters and I plan to play in the intramural basketball league this semester. I have also served on the Sports committee of Phi Gamma Nu, a professional business fraternity on campus for two semesters. As a part of this committee I was responsible to plan various sporting events such as volleyball and dodgeball games for the fraternity. I was also responsible to form intramural teams to participate in soccer, flag football and the broomball intramural leagues for the fraternity. Apart from that I am also on the board for the Illinois Soccer community, a RSO that promotes the sport of soccer on campus by holding indoor soccer tournaments and broadcasting various soccer games.
I absolutely love our college and am very proud of our teams and it would be an honor for me to get an opportunity in being a part of something with such great heritage. I look forward to offering all I can to help our college athletics program.
CHRISTINA FERTL
Accountancy
I am a senior in accountancy and really enjoy athletics while understanding the importance of budgets and financial sustainability. As an out of state student, I came here specifically because I felt a solid connection with what the University of Illinois offers students. Not only do we have an amazing academic reputation, but also we have an amazing athletic community and athletic school pride. My brother has been an avid basketball player and I have learned a lot about budgeting for athletic programs through my experience with his AAU team. In order to attend nationals every year, we participated in numerous fundraising activities Because this was an inner-city team and money was scarce, I learned that every dollar counted and realized how far money could stretch if put to use in the right fashion. During the summer of my freshman year, I interned with non-profit organizations through a program set up by Dean Collette Niland of the College of Business called Social Entrepreneurship Summer Institute. Having the opportunity to play athletics in college can really enhance a student's perspective on life and benefit them in numerous ways. Therefore, I feel that I can add a new perspective in helping to maintain the legacy of Illinois athletics while still developing a fiscally responsible budget and financial plan.
I am planning and preparing for the College of Business Career Fair. This means creating spreadsheets as well as assigning duties and tasks for volunteers throughout the two days of career fair. In the semesters that I have been helping with this event, I have continually increased the employer satisfaction with the service and hospitality of the event. I have assisted in the College of Business graduation, registering freshman for classes, advising students about classes, and recruiting bright and talented students to the College. As a freshman, I became involved in Business Council and have established myself within the campus community. Being open to new opportunities, I have grown tremendously and helped to make this University a place to transform student's lives. Consequently, because of my willingness to help, I have grown in my relations with the faculty in the College and know that I will always have a strong connection with the University even after I graduate with my master’s degree.