GLASSBORO, NJ – Rowan University athletic director Joy Solomen has announced that she will retire at the end of March.  She has served as an athletic administrator at the University for 25 years.    

“I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work in a field that affords us the opportunity to work with young people and have a positive effect and influence on their development as productive and contributing members of society,” stated Solomen.  “Obviously I will miss the staff and other colleagues on campus and throughout the country that I have had the privilege of working with and have developed relationships with over the years.”

At Rowan, Solomen directed a NCAA Division III athletic program of 18 sports, eight for men and 10 for women.  She was appointed the director of athletics in 1993 after serving as the director of women’s athletics since 1986.  During her tenure, she oversaw the renovations at Coach Richard Wackar Stadium and Esbjornson Gymnasium.  Solomen was instrumental in the current improvements being made to the women’s locker rooms and the future addition to the John Green Team House. 

She was most proud of the athletes’ accomplishments off the playing field.  Last year, the University honored 234 student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.  In the fall, Solomen completed a four-year term on the NCAA Division III Football Committee.  She served as the chair of the committee the past three years.  Solomen was the first woman ever selected as chair and the second appointed to the football committee..        

Associate athletic director Dan Gilmore will take over for Solomen as interim athletic director.  Gilmore has been the University’s men’s soccer coach for 36 years and has compiled a            537-167-57 won-loss record.  In 2005, Gilmore was promoted to associate athletic director after serving as an assistant athletic director for 12 years. 

“I am extremely proud of the academic success of our student-athletes,” Solomen continued.  “Each year the number of student-athletes we honor for academic success has grown and numerous Academic All-Americans have been named at Rowan from the various coaching and athletic organizations.”

“I am deeply appreciative of the outstanding education I received here as a student-athlete and was honored when asked to return as an athletic administrator,” said Solomen.  “We have accomplished many things, over the years, as a department and staff with the renovations and improvements of all our facilities.  There is still much work to be done, but I am confident that the future is bright for Rowan athletics and the University and look forward to watching the progress over the next few years.”

Solomen has been active at the state, regional and national levels.  She was president of the New Jersey Athletic Conference, the New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women and the Collegiate Athletic Administrators of New Jersey (CAANJ).  Solomen was a member of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee and the region chair for seven years.  In addition, she has served on the region volleyball committee and several Eastern College Athletic Conference committees.  Solomen completed two years on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA).

On the national level, she was elected chair of the NCAA Division III Management Council in 2001 and served as the vice chair the previous year.  She was a member of the NCAA Executive Committee and was chair of the Division III Women’s Basketball National Committee from 1996-98.  Solomen represented Division III on the NCAA association wide Recruitment Committee and the Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports Committee.  She was also the chair of the Division III Championship Committee and the NCAA convention planning sub-committee and a member of the Division III Initiatives Task Force.

Solomen graduated from Glassboro State College, now Rowan University, in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education and later earned her master’s in 1975. She was a three-sport athlete and a captain of the field hockey, lacrosse and basketball teams. From 1973-74, she was a graduate assistant for the Profs and was the assistant coach for the field hockey, basketball and lacrosse teams. She taught and coached at Houghton College (NY) and Moorestown High School (NJ).

At Biola University (CA) from 1981 to 1986, Solomen coached volleyball and was an assistant professor. Her volleyball teams were second in the NAIA National Championship in 1985, NAIA District III Southern Division Conference Champions in 1984 and 1983 and NAIA District III Champions in 1982. She was also the chair of the health and physical education department at Glassboro High School from 1974 to 1981 where she coached girls’ field hockey, basketball, softball and track and field.

Solomen was selected the 2010-11 Division III Southeast Region Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year and was honored at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) annual convention.  In 2002, she was chosen the NACDA Division III Athletic Director of the Year for the Northeast Region and recognized as the Administrator of the Year by the CAANJ.  Solomen was named the 2003 Division III Administrator of the Year by NACWAA and received the General Robert R. Neyland Athletic Director Award from the All-American Football Foundation.  She was inducted into the Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame, the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame and the Rowan-Glassboro State Sports Hall of Fame.