Intercollegiate Athletics Committee
The Intercollegiate Athletics Committee (IAC) launched in January 2026 as an advisory group to the president. The IAC replaced the former Committee on Athletics and Recreation. The Office of the President and Office of the Provost have worked closely with the Northwestern University Department of Athletics and Recreation (NUDAR) to enhance the relationship between NUDAR and the Office of the Provost with the foremost objective being the success and wellness of Northwestern’s student-athletes. The IAC is charged with advising the president on issues related to the welfare and academic performance of student-athletes.
The responsibilities of the committee include:
- Lead consideration of and advise the president on the following:
- Student-athlete health, welfare and paths to academic success
- Student-athlete access to University support services and resources
- Student-athlete academic progress
- Awareness of athletic regulation changes that impact student-athlete success
- Strategies to facilitate broader faculty awareness of and partnerships with NUDAR
- Encourage engagement between academic and athletic services (e.g., advising) to ensure continuity of student-athlete trajectories
- Engage in regular discussions with a representative cross-section sample of student-athletes to better understand student-athlete climate and culture
- Review data from student-athlete annual and exit interviews conducted by Athletics sports administrators
- Prepare an annual report to the president, including a summary of academic performance and welfare of student-athletes
- Report regularly to the University Senate (via IAC member)
Committee Members
- Wesley Burghardt (Chair), Faculty Athletics Representative, and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Engineering, McCormick School of Engineering
- Lori Barcliff Baptista, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Program and Advising, School of Communication
- Gerry Cadava, Professor, History; Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
- Melissa Isaacson, Assistant Professor, Clinical, Journalism; Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
- Kevin Lynch, Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Mark McCareins, Professor, Clinical, Strategy; J. L. Kellogg School of Management
- Lilah Shapiro, Associate Professor of Instruction, School of Education and Social Policy
- Karen Springen, Professor, Clinical, Journalism; Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications
- Liz Trubey, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Professor of Instruction, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
Ex-officio members
- Babak Bakhtiari, Associate General Counsel, Office of General Counsel
- Janna Blais, Chief Administrative Officer, Athletics
- Susan Davis, Vice President of Student Affairs
- Mark Jackson, Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation, Univ Athletics – Administration
- Eileen O'Rourke, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services & Students, Athletics
- Karen Smilowitz, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education