To Students, Faculty, and Staff,

We are very pleased to report the appointment of Timothy M. Ryan ’98 as Bowdoin’s Ashmead White Director of Athletics, effective immediately. Tim’s appointment follows a comprehensive search for this important position at the College.

Tim has served as interim director of athletics since last July and as a senior member of our athletics department since July 2007. In that time, he has proven himself to be a skilled and effective leader who understands, supports, and advances the mission, values, and vision of athletics at the College. This is a complex job with many constituencies. In the last nine months, Tim has demonstrated his deep knowledge of the program, his commitment to maintaining the proper balance between academics and athletics, and his skill as a manager and leader.

A member of the Class of 1998, Tim began his career in investment and commercial banking. In 2005 he decided to change his career focus and to pursue his passion for education and athletics. He returned to Bowdoin in the summer of 2005 as an assistant football coach, and in 2007, he was named associate athletic director for operations. In that role, Tim managed the department budget, supervised staff, served on numerous College committees, and represented the department on several capital and major maintenance projects. He also worked closely and effectively with a variety of College departments, including Admissions, Development and Alumni Relations, Facilities Management, IT, Human Resources, and Communications and Public Affairs. As interim director, Tim has gained valuable experience on all facets of the position, including working with the faculty and students directly.

Tim knows Bowdoin well and he has a comprehensive understanding of our mission and values. He was a Dean’s List student here, a tri-captain of the 1997 football team, and a member of our Res Life staff. He has also been an annual giving volunteer for his class since 2008. Tim earned his master’s degree in higher education administration at Drexel University in 2011. He has combined the knowledge gained there with valuable experience in the private sector to become an accomplished administrator and a leader who consistently demonstrates his passion for athletics and his commitment to our students.

As director of athletics, Tim will oversee 31 intercollegiate varsity sports, three club sports, and general fitness in a program that involves a significant number of our students. Tim will work with our accomplished group of coaches and staff to maintain and enhance Bowdoin’s commitment to academic and athletic excellence by promoting personal development, high academic achievement, and full engagement in the life of the College by students with varying interests and skills. Tim will work with coaches to teach and mentor those students; will ensure that we continue to promote and protect health, safety, diversity, and gender equity in athletics; and will work with others to strengthen relationships with alumni and friends of the College. Tim will also ensure that our athletic facilities and equipment continue to meet the high standards we expect at Bowdoin.

We are tremendously grateful to the members of our search committee:

Michael English ’14, Football

Tim Foster, Dean of Student Affairs (chair)

Tim Gilbride, Head Coach of Men’s Basketball

Kacy Hintze ’98, Associate Director, Annual Giving

Hadley Horch, Associate Professor of Biology and Neuroscience

David Morales ’97, Trustee

Nicky Pearson, Head Coach of Women’s Field Hockey, Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women’s Administrator

Molly Popolizio ’14, Soccer and Lacrosse

Brian Purnell, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies

Whitney Soule, Director of Admissions

Kate Stern, Director of the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity

Karen Walker ’84, Trustee

Together with our search consultant, Alden & Associates, these members of our community worked diligently and effectively to identify and review an outstanding pool of candidates.

Bowdoin is fortunate to have an enormously successful athletic program built in recent times by Jeff Ward, Sid Watson, and a talented and dedicated group of coaches and staff. It is a program that reflects the ambition and values of the College. Members of our community know that an exceptional liberal arts education and a great intercollegiate athletic experience are a powerful combination that prepares young women and men for a meaningful and enjoyable life. With Tim’s leadership, we know athletics at Bowdoin will continue to thrive, and we look forward to working together with him on behalf of our students and Polar Bears everywhere.

Sincerely,

Barry Mills and Tim Foster