Orlando, FL - Patricia H. Meiser, Director of Athletics and Special Assistant to the President, will be honored as the 2008-09 Northeast Region Division I Under Armour AD of the Year at the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon as a part of the annual National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention being held in Orlando, FL.

"It's always nice to be recognized by your peers," said Meiser. "This award is more a reflection of the wonderful people I have had the honor to work with and for, than it is about my personal accomplishments. I am grateful to receive this honor."

The Under Armour AD of the Year Awards (ADOY) program, now in its 11th year, recognizes athletics directors who have shown administrative excellence within the campus and/or college community for the current academic year. The award encompasses seven divisions - NCAA Divisions I, II, III, Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, NAIA and Junior/Community Colleges. This year 29 awards will be presented, four per division in the U.S. regions and one cross-divisional winner in the International region. Athletics directors may win the award once every three years.

"Pat Meiser has been devoted to our student-athletes for the past seventeen years," said University President Walter Harrison. "She has brought great leadership to the University's athletic department, raising money, building facilities, attracting highly qualified coaches, and supervising a great staff. Most of all, however, she has been unfailingly dedicated to improving student-athlete welfare, and for that all of us are grateful."

Meiser is in her 17th year at the University of Hartford. One of only 22 female directors of athletics among the 329 institutions competing at the Division I level, Meiser has 37 years of experience in athletics administration. In May of 1999, she was named one of the nation's top 50 women's sports executives by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal.

In her tenure, seven sports (women's basketball, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's golf, women's golf, men's tennis and women's volleyball) have won America East Conference championships and either reached NCAA Division I tournament or national postseason play. Women's basketball, in particular, has emerged with Meiser hiring of Jennifer Rizzotti. The Hawks have won four conference championships since the hiring of Rizzotti and most recently defeated nationally Syracuse University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the programs second victory in national post season play.

Most significantly, Hartford athletics embarked on a $10 million athletics capital campaign in April of 2003. The campaign, called Home Field Advantage, has funded the renovation of the existing soccer and lacrosse field, the relocation and construction of a softball field and the construction of a baseball field. The ground breaking for Home Field Advantage took place in April of 2005 and all five outdoor teams played have played on their new fields since the 2005-06 season. Most importantly the Hawks baseball team played its first game on campus for the first time in more than 20 years.

Meiser holds a bachelor's degree in health and physical education (1969) from West Chester State University and a master's degree in education (1971) and business administration (MBA, 1986) from Penn State University. At Hartford, she heads a team that is responsible for growing the athletics and academic quality of the program, enhancing revenue and extending the program into the community.

Eligibility and Criteria
All directors of athletics, provided they meet the following criteria and are nominated by a NACDA-member director of athletics, college or university president or conference commissioner, are eligible. The nominee must:

~ Be a NACDA member.

~ Have served as an athletics director for a minimum of five (5) consecutive academic years (July 1-June 30).s

~ Be employed in a full-time capacity as the director of athletics (not as an associate, assistant or senior woman administrator at the institution listed at the time of nomination.

~ Demonstrate a commitment to higher education and student-athletes.

~ Demonstrate continuous teamwork, loyalty and excellence.

~ Demonstrate a commitment to continuing education for the athletics administrative staff.

~ Demonstrate the ability to inspire individuals or groups to high levels of accomplishment.

~ Demonstrate leadership and/or significant outreach for the betterment of youth and/or the local community.

~ Show leadership on the regional and/or national levels through serving on (1) NACDA committees; (2) NCAA, NAIA or junior/community college committees; (3) other athletics committees (NACWAA, USOC, AAU, etc.).

~ Have received previous awards for administrative excellence.

~ Not be or have been the athletics director at an institution that is or has been placed on probation or cited for a lack of institutional control at his/her current or previous institution in the past five (5) academic years. Any director of athletics who meets all other criteria for the award and who has inherited a program currently on probation or is under review for probation (or lack of institutional control), is eligible to receive the award as long as no other significant violations have occurred since his/her arrival that contribute(d) to the aforementioned.