Kansas Athletics Names Maya Ozery Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Development
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Athletics announced today the hiring of Maya Ozery as the new Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete Development. She will replace Jane Widger Fulton, who is retiring at the end of September.
“Jane has impacted countless Jayhawks through the creation and execution of first-class student-athlete development programs,” said Director of Athletics Travis Goff. “Her selfless work and profound commitment to our young men and women is an inspiration to all of us. Jane has certainly left an indelible mark on Kansas Athletics and we wish her all the best in her retirement.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Maya to Kansas Athletics, and are confident she will elevate our student-athlete experience during this transformative time in college athletics,” said Goff. “Maya rose to the top of our strong pool of candidates due to her experience guiding one of the top leadership and personal development programs in the country. Her background as an international student-athlete, commitment to personal development and education, passion for preparing student-athletes for life after sport, as well as her commitment to impactful diversity and inclusivity initiatives, will have a tremendous impact on our current and future Jayhawks.”
In her position at Kansas, Ozery will be responsible for the successful development and delivery of programs and services related to student-athlete development and leadership.
“I am thrilled to join Kansas Athletics and would like to thank Travis Goff and Nicole Corcoran for the opportunity to serve in this role,” said Ozery. “I am inspired by both of their unwavering commitment to provide student-athletes the best resources and opportunities available. I look forward to working closely with KU student-athletes, coaches, staff members, and alumni as we continue to make the student-athlete experience a priority.
“The emphasis on supporting student-athletes growth, wellbeing and the pursuit of excellence at Kansas is extraordinary, and I believe KU Leads can continue to offer student-athletes a unique opportunity to enhance their experience and to prepare for their future. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!”
Ozery comes to Kansas from Georgetown University, where she served as Executive Director of the Cooper Athletics Leadership Program since 2018. While at Georgetown, she was responsible for designing an inclusive leadership program for more than 700 student-athletes and 140 staff members while also serving as a sport administrator for men’s soccer, men’s tennis and women’s tennis.
“Maya’s experience designing programs to support overall learning and winning cultures will translate well at Kansas,” said Nicole Corcoran, Deputy Athletics Director for Sports Administration and Student-Athlete Well-Being. “Her efforts with leadership, emotional intelligence and diversity, equity and inclusion will help support both leadership and career development for our student-athletes.”
During her time at Georgetown, Ozery implemented her approach to leadership which aims to foster growth and development through lessons learned during participation in intercollegiate athletics. In doing so, she established partnerships and programs with ESPNW, Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), Athletes for Hope, the Institute for Sports and Social Justice and Georgetown’s Institute for Transformational Leadership. She was also instrumental in launching the Student-Athletes Leadership Institute, the Coaches Summit and Coaches Leadership Institute to attract and retain exceptional talent.
Before moving to Georgetown, Ozery spent two years at the University of Richmond where she served as the Director of Student-Athlete Leadership and Development. In that role, she was responsible for organizing, developing and overseeing all curriculum development and educational programming content for student-athletes, coaches and staff. She also spent time as the Assistant Athletic Director for Academic and Leadership Development at Longwood University, where she served as the chief academic officer for the department and supervised student-athlete support and development.
In addition to her on campus work, Ozery is a lead facilitator for the NCAA Leadership Forum and the NCAA Leadership Academy Workshop, helping to develop curriculum for both national programs. She has completed the NCAA Effective Facilitation Workshop and she’s a graduate of the NCAA/Women Leaders Institutes for Administrative Advancement. She also was part of a select group chosen for the NCAA Minority Education Series, which targets individuals who have shown potential for advancement in the field.
A former member of Israel’s National Women’s Soccer Team (1999-06), Ozery earned a bachelor of science degree in Psychology along with a master of science with a specialization in Sports and Exercise Psychology from Barry University, where she was a team captain of the soccer team during her senior season. She later earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, focusing on leadership development and organizational culture in the sports industry.
