WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — Sharon Beverly, PhD, a nationally recognized leader in higher education, has been named acting vice president of athletics and recreation at the University of Hartford. 

This newly defined interim position combines the leadership responsibilities of our Director of Athletics with those of recreational health and fitness, intramurals and club sports.

Beverly comes to Hartford with more than 30 years of higher education leadership experience in academic affairs, student affairs, and athletics at both private and public institutions. She enjoyed a successful 20-year career as a head women's basketball coach at three different institutions, including 11 seasons at NCAA Division I-member Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she was inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame.

From 2002 to 2014, Beverly served as the director of athletics and physical education at Vassar College, where she also chaired the school's physical education department and was a tenured faculty member. Following her term at Vassar, she filled dual roles as assistant vice president for student affairs and executive director of athletics and recreation at the College of New Jersey. 

Since 2013, Beverly has held a variety of teaching roles at Concordia University of Chicago, Rutgers University, and Immaculata University. 

Most recently, she served as the interim director of athletics at Guilford College in North Carolina.