Veteran Mason Athletics Leader Nena Rogers to Serve as Interim Director of Athletics
Nena Rogers, George Mason University's Senior Associate Athletic Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for Academic Services, will serve as the university's Interim Assistant Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics while a national search for a permanent director is conducted, Mason President Gregory Washington announced.
Rogers, who has served various roles in the Mason Intercollegiate Athletics department since 1998, earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees at Mason. A standout student-athlete in track and field, Rogers was a 1988 NCAA champion and Olympic qualifier in long jump. She also earned four All-America honors competing in the long jump and triple jump for Mason.
Rogers will begin as interim athletics director on October 13 and will serve until a permanent successor begins. In September, current Assistant Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Brad Edwards announced he will leave October 12 to become CEO of NFL Alumni.
"Nena Rogers meets the moment perfectly. She is a Patriot through and through, and she brings an impeccable track record of helping students thrive as both outstanding students and athletes," Washington said. "She has dedicated most of her adult life to the development and well-being of Mason's student-athletes, and is a trusted hand of stability and continuity during this time of transition."
"I am humbled and honored to lead our athletics department. Mason has proven instrumental not only in my personal development, but also in the lives of the thousands of student-athletes I have had the honor of working with throughout my career," Rogers said. "Our vision will continue to center on the education and well-being of our student-athletes. We will contribute to the strong foundation established by Mason, which values diversity in thought and actions and inclusive excellence."
Since Rogers was tapped to lead Mason Athletics' academic services in 2016, 394 student-athletes have achieved the George Mason Provost Scholar Athlete Award, including a record number 65 in 2020-21. The award recognizes the student-athletes who have earned at least 38 credit hours and have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or better.
Rogers has also supervised the Patriots' women's volleyball and lacrosse programs since 2020, and she began overseeing women's basketball this year. She also manages the athletics department's Dr. Frank Pettrone Center for Sports Performance. As interim director, she will ultimately oversee all 22 of Mason's Division I sports.
Rogers also was the driving force behind the development of Intercollegiate Athletics' life skills program, which focuses on student-athlete welfare by coaching students on personal growth, career development, and commitment to community service.
Rogers is chair of Mason Athletics' Diversity and Inclusion Committee and has been newly appointed to a position on the President's Task Force on Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence. In spring 2021, Mason was named one of just 10 Division I athletic departments to post a perfect score of 100 on Athlete Ally's Athletic Equality Index.
After graduating in 1988, Rogers returned to Mason in 1998 as the assistant coach for jumps and sprints for the women's track and field program. In 2000, she transitioned to athletics administration.
Rogers is a double-degree holder from Mason, earning her bachelor's degree in education in 1988 and later a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in higher education.
A Virginia native, Rogers lives in Woodbridge with her husband, Dennis, and has two daughters, Maya and Kia.
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