Office of the President | Today at Elon | �þ��

The Groundlings award-winning improv training comes to �þ�� Los Angeles

Brad Lemack — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:48:18 +0000

Summer students at �þ�� Los Angeles, joined by a group of students from other summer LA study away programs, had the opportunity to participate in a new and innovative workshop that teaches students how to think on their feet in a variety of situations. From an internship interview, to a job interview, to social and classroom situations, “thinking on your feet” training can benefit them in myriad of ways.

�þ�� Los Angeles Director Brad Lemack moderated a conversation about the history and styles of improv with The Groundlings improv coach Andres Parada.

The “Never Be at a Loss for Words” workshop idea was created through a partnership between �þ�� and The Groundlings, an industry improv training leader in Los Angeles. The workshop was led by actor, improv performer and The Groundlings improv coach Andres Parada. Parada has spent many years �þ�� actors critical communication skills that prepare them for anything that comes up in an audition, in a live performance or on a film set. Actors Will Ferrell, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph and Lisa Kudrow are among the many well-known alumni of The Groundlings.

Now, Elon LA students have learned how to apply those techniques to benefit them along both their career and personal journeys ahead.

�þ�� Los Angeles, offered by Elon’s ��Ի��National �þ�� Programs, offers spring and summer immersive experiences for students that feature academic courses taught by instructors who are working professionals in their fields and on-site experiential learning at internship sites across the city. The Elon LA experience also includes alumni engagement, community service and unique professional development opportunities.

Based in historic Hollywood, applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Improv coach Andres Parada brought “think on your feet” improv exercises to �þ�� Los Angeles.

Laughter and skill building were the orders of a night of improv training for non-actors at �þ�� Los Angeles.

Elon Los Angeles summer students learned how to “Never Be at a Loss for Words” at a fun, new, innovative improv workshop.

The Month in Photos: June 2026

Avery Craine Powell — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:28:30 +0000

While campus is quieter during the summer months, June still brought plenty of activity to �þ��. From the sounds of the annual community concert and picnic to the energy of summer camps and campus events, there was no shortage of memorable moments.

Take a look back at some of the month’s highlights through the eyes of the staff in University Communications.

Engineering success

A former president of the Milwaukee School of Engineering��Ի��longtime leader in engineering and technology education has been named the inaugural dean of �þ��’s new School of Engineering and Computing.

Dr. John Walz joins Elon after nearly a decade helming a private university recognized for its emphasis on experiential learning, strong industry partnerships and workforce preparation.

Dr. John Walz in and around Founders Hall on June 03, 2026.

AI Play

�þ�� hosted its inaugural AI Play summer camp in June for rising middle school students with an interest in the world of artificial intelligence. Thirteen students participated, learning about artificial intelligence while improving their AI literacy.

Assistant Professor of Engineering Blake Hament demonstrates Hugh the robot at Elon AI Play Summer camp at Lindner Hall on June 18, 2026.

�þ�� experiment with concepts of robotic perception at Elon AI Play Summer camp at Lindner Hall on June 15, 2026.

Summer Concert & Picnic

Elon faculty, staff, students and friends came together at the Martin Alumni Center for the annual Summer Concert & Picnic on June 25.

Elon’s annual Summer Concert and Picnic on June 25, 2026.

Emancipation Celebration

This summer, Elon faculty and staff were invited to engage in meaningful dialogue, reflection and community-building through the Inclusive Excellence Summer Development Series “American Anniversaries: 250 Years, Over 160 Reasons to Heal.”

The series connected two significant milestones in American history — the nation’s 250th anniversary and the 161st anniversary of Juneteenth — through opportunities to explore the ongoing pursuit of freedom, equality and justice.

Together@Elon’s Emancipation Celebration invited community members to enjoy a Juneteenth exhibit, music, sweet treats and games while celebrating freedom, resilience and community.

Together@Elon Emancipation Celebration in June 2026

U.S. Soccer comes to �þ�� Los Angeles

Brad Lemack — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 13:20:31 +0000

Atlanta-based Elon alumna Abbie Skladan ‘23, who is the manager of sporting and specialty retail development at U.S. Soccer, reunited with her �þ�� Los Angeles roots during a visit with summer Elon Loss and local alumni to discuss Angeles student U.S. Soccer’s initiatives in retail partnerships and community engagement. Skladan spent a semester at Elon Los Angeles during her academic career at Elon.

Abbie Skladan ’23 serves as manager of sporting and specialty retail development at U.S. Soccer.

Los Angeles has been serving as one of the key U.S. locations for the FIFA World Cup 2026; Skladan’s work responsibilities have brought her to LA for the duration of the games this summer.

�þ�� and alumni guests had the opportunity to learn about her impressive career in sports so far and her journeyposition to her current . “It is wonderful to be back at Elon LA’s home base at The Preserve, in the same space where my classes were held and from where I began the journey to launch my post-graduation professional career,” Skladan told the gathered group.

Each semester, �þ�� Los Angeles brings together alumni and students for conversations that benefit emerging young professionals in a wide variety of career fields. The program offers an exciting, immersive and robust spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through Elon’s ��Ի� National �þ�� Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Abbie Skladan ’23 chats about her work with U.S. Soccer with a group of summer �þ�� Los Angeles students.

Mentoring sets the tone for �þ�� Los Angeles summer ‘Alumni Wisdom’ event

Brad Lemack — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 19:10:29 +0000

Elon alumni Landon Kestlinger ’19, Dezirae Zaman ‘24, Frankie Campisano ‘16 and Cierra Seawright ’18 returned to Elon Los Angeles with a wide variety of personal experiences to share with students during a panel in June.

Elon alumnus Frankie Campisano ’16 talks with Elon Los Angeles summer student Hammond Sherouse.

From production, post-production, content creation, producing, writing, directing and performing, the panel offered a wide range of information to students of diverse majors who are in Los Angeles this summer for a unique core capstone course, experiential learning, alumni engagement and community service.

Zaman, who works at the post-production house Picture Shop, shared the excitement of being in the middle of the artistry of post-production. Among Picture Shop’s most recent projects was providing color correction work on Steven Spielberg’s current film “Disclosure Day.” She is also a first-time site supervisor, mentoring summer student Hammond Sherouse at a first-time Elon Los Angeles Picture Shop internship.

Campisano, who served as a selection committee member for the first �þ�� Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition last fall, spoke about the wide range of professional creative opportunities that await students who return to Los Angeles after graduation. Campisano is an award-winning filmmaker who often turns to the Elon Los Angeles alumni community when staffing and casting projects.

Kestlinger is a Physical Production Manager for television and feature films at SK Global Entertainment. Seawright, an actor, model, and entertainment and brand marketing specialist, currently performs at Disneyland Resort.

�þ�� Los Angeles offers an exciting, immersive spring semester and summer program experience in the heart of historic Hollywood through Elon’s and National �þ�� Programs. Applications are now being accepted for the spring 2027 semester.

Elon alumna Dezirae Zaman ’24 with Elon Los Angeles summer faculty-in-residence Doug Kass.

Elon alumnus Landon Kestlinger ’19 talks with students following the Alumni Wisdom Panel session discussion at the �þ�� Los Angeles home base, the historic property The Preserve, in Hollywood.

Elon to host annual Summer Picnic & Concert on Thursday

Avery Craine Powell — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 14:58:34 +0000

�þ�� will hold its annual Summer Picnic & Concert on June 25 from 12-2 p.m. at the Martin Alumni Center, as part of a series of events to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Hosted by the Office of the President, the annual picnic celebrates vibrant connections among students, faculty, staff, families, and neighbors of �þ��.

Featured live music will be presented by the NC Brass Band. Lunch and entertainment are free for registered attendees. During the event, guests are invited to explore an historical exhibit, hosted by the North Carolina State Archives in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The exhibit will be displayed in Belk Library.

Event Address:
306 N. O’Kelly Avenue
Elon, NC 27244

Parking is available at the McMichael Science Center and Innovation Lot.

Honoring 250 Years of the American Spirit: 1776–2026

Throughout 2026, the university will host a range of events as part of “Honoring 250 Years of the American Spirit: 1776–2026,” which blends civic engagement, historical exploration and cultural expression. Programs will highlight voices from across disciplines and communities, emphasizing inclusive dialogue and meaningful participation.

Danielle Martinelli-Taylor ’12 shares her path to somatic boxing therapy on ‘Elon Beyond the Bricks’

Brandon Talton — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 16:02:00 +0000

Danielle Martinelli-Taylor ’12 has built her career around helping people move through pain toward healing. As the founder of Animo Counseling and Coaching in Denver, Colorado, she works with clients through a holistic mind-body approach to mental health, including somatic boxing therapy. In the latest episode of “Elon Beyond the Bricks,” President Connie Ledoux Book sits down with Martinelli-Taylor to explore the experiences that led her to a career in trauma counseling.

A graduate of Elon’s School of Communications, Martinelli-Taylor majored in strategic communications and minored in religious studies before her career turned toward mental health care. That shift began with moments she did not fully recognize at the time, including an Elon class on human trafficking that opened her eyes to the reality of trauma and stayed with her long after graduation.

“I think like a lot of things, there were moments, but I hadn’t added them up yet,” she said.

Danielle Martinelli-Taylor ’12 is a graduate of Elon’s School of Communications, where she majored in strategic communications and minored in religious studies.

After graduation, Martinelli-Taylor’s path moved through customer service at Wayfair, nonprofit work in London and continued reflection on the kind of work that felt meaningful. Each step helped her better understand what she was drawn to, what she needed to move away from and how service could become a throughline in her life and career.

That search eventually led her to counseling, where she began working with clients who had experienced trauma. She noticed that talk therapy alone was not always the right entry point, especially when asking clients to revisit painful stories could bring them back into that experience. From there, she began developing a new approach.

“What can we do that still heals or helps the body get rid of this distress, this intensity, this pain, but not necessarily just… talking about it?” she said.

Somatic boxing therapy grew from that question and from Martinelli-Taylor’s own experience using boxing to process the emotional weight of counseling work. Over time, she began incorporating pads and bilateral movement into sessions, helping clients reconnect with strength, courage and a sense of agency.

“Find your strength, find your resilience find that courage,” she said.

Danielle Martinelli-Taylor ’12 practices somatic boxing therapy with a patient.

While her work now sits in the mental health field, Martinelli-Taylor still sees clear connections to her Elon education. Her communications background has helped her explain a new therapeutic model, build a practice and share her work with clients and other professionals.

“I’m glad I had a marketing background. I’m glad I had a little bit of a PR background because so much, even though it’s counseling and mental health, it’s a lot of business,” she said.

Martinelli-Taylor’s story was featured in the 2025 President’s Report because of the meaningful impact she is creating through service to others. For Elon students and young alumni still trying to find direction, she encouraged patience and forward motion, even when the larger path is unclear.

“Just take one step,” she said. “Don’t try to figure it all out right now.”

Toward the end of the conversation, Martinelli-Taylor shared a quote from Frederick Buechner that has helped frame her own sense of calling:

“Maybe the place you’re called is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet,” she said.

“For Martinelli-Taylor, that place has become the space where service, counseling and embodied healing meet. Her story is a reminder that purpose is often formed through the moments that stay with us and the courage to follow them into work that helps others heal.

Learn more about the podcast and listen to the episode here.

Learn more about the 2025 President’s Report and read it here.

Elon Los Angeles area alumnae to premiere award-winning short films at inaugural Elon Los Angeles film festival July 22

Brad Lemack — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:57:15 +0000

Elon alumna Bex Evans, Julia Boyd and Mirai will have the world premieres of their Elon Los Angeles grant-funded short films at the first �þ�� Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival.

Tickets are now on sale for the inaugural �þ�� Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Festival on Wednesday evening, July 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the historic Sony Pictures Studios lot, in Culver City, California.

The festival will feature the world premieres of short films from three Elon Los Angeles area alumna who were recipients of last fall’s �þ�� Los Angeles Alumni Short Film Grant Competition funds.

Julia Boyd ’15, Bex Evans ’16 and Mirai ‘07 each received grants of $3,000 for the production of their original short films. Their projects were selected for funding from among numerous submissions received. A selection committee comprised of industry professionals and Elon alumni reviewed, ranked and voted on all of the submissions received; Boyd, Evans and Mirai’s projects were the three top selections from this process.

The short film festival will also feature a conversation with Elon alumni Lindsey Emerson, vice president of streaming, global strategy & operations at Paramount Skydance and Alex Stevenson, account lead at Creative Artists Agency, about the current state of the entertainment industry and the impact these shifts are having on students transitioning from college to the professional world, as well as how current working professionals might navigate the new landscape for new opportunities.

A reception will follow the festival presentation with the opportunity for current Elon Los Angeles summer students to connect with Elon alumni and other industry professionals.

Limited availability tickets for the film festival are $25 each, with 100% of all ticket revenue designated to support next year’s grant competition.

For information and ticket purchases, and for contributions to the grant competition fund, please visit the .

Elon Academy celebrates Sigma Class success at president’s reception

Eric Townsend — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:56:08 +0000

It’s an impressive list of accomplishments for the Elon Academy’s Sigma Class:

136 college acceptances from 38 different universities
$2.5 million in merit scholarships and grants awarded to scholars
Seven will join the Class of 2030 this fall at �þ��, three are headed to UNC Chapel Hill, and three more to UNC Charlotte, among other top schools
Several earned some of the most competitive and prestigious scholarships North Carolina offers, including a Carolina Covenant Scholar at UNC Chapel Hill, an Elon Teaching Fellow, and a North Carolina Teaching Fellow

�þ�� President Connie Ledoux Book congratulates Logan Mercier, a senior at Hugh M. Cummings High School and a rising first-year student at N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina.

And for Elon President Connie Book, who addressed the 17th class of the Elon Academy at a recent dinner reception to recognize graduates of the university’s college access and success program, scholarships and college acceptances are more than a reflection of academic achievement. They’re a harbinger of future success.

“These accomplishments, impressive as they are, are only a glimpse of the bright path that lies ahead of you,” Book said. “The Elon Academy was founded on a simple and powerful belief — that talent and potential exist in every community, and when that talent is matched with opportunity and support, there is no limit to what a young person can achieve. Each of you is living proof of that belief.”

Book was joined by family members, mentors, program alumni and other university leaders on May 28, 2026, in celebration of the Sigma Class during the Elon Academy’s annual President’s Reception.

The Elon Academy is an intensive, comprehensive opportunity for academically promising high school students in Alamance County with a financial need and/or no family history of college. The Elon Academy Summer Academy program includes three consecutive summer residential experiences prior to the sophomore, junior and senior years, as well as year-round Saturday Academy programs for students and families.

Shawn Means of Alamance Burlington Early College delivered the Elon Academy’s Sigma Scholar Speech on May 28, 2026. Means will attend UNC Charlotte in the fall.

As part of the ceremony in the Lakeside Meeting Rooms, Shawn Means, a member of the Alamance Burlington Early College Class of 2026, delivered the Sigma Scholar Speech to his 24 classmates. Means reflected at length on the ways Elon Academy shaped their development beyond academics.

“When people talk about Elon Academy, they’d most likely give you a polished answer,” Means said. “They talk about college preparation, leadership, and academic growth. All the things you can put on paper. And they wouldn’t be wrong. But they wouldn’t be telling the whole story.”

Means emphasized how the program transformed participants not only as students but as people. “Now we understand responsibility. Now we understand balance,” he said. “Now we understand that freedom isn’t just given, it’s something you learn how to handle.”

The reception was also the first in the Elon Academy’s nearly two decades of operation where alumni returned to be honored for their own graduations from college. Four Elon Academy College Scholars were applauded and presented with certificates commemorating their own recent college graduations.

Reception guests heard from Shiv Patel, a member of the Xi Class that graduated from high school in 2022. Now a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, Patel encouraged members of the Sigma Class to stay true to themselves as they head to college.

“Someone told me that I did college right, and while I appreciated the notion, it’s not that I did college right, it’s that I led with my values,” Patel said. “I wanted the choices I made in college to be choices that reflected who I was and the background I came from. I never wanted to pretend to be someone I was not or do things that went against who I was.”

From left: Jaime Carranza-Navarrete, Shawn Means, Mariam Rosales ’17, Julio Santiago, Naje Gray and Lexie Bennett

The program concluded with another first for the Elon Academy – a presentation of scholarships to four Sigma Class graduates made possible through the philanthropy of those who recognized the power of the academy to change lives.

Mariam Rosales ‘17, a member of the Delta Class and an �þ�� graduate who today works in real estate, joined with Julio Santiago to create the awards. Honored in 2026 were:

Lexie Bennett, River Mill Academy
Jaime Carranza-Navarrete, Graham High School
Shawn Means, Alamance Burlington Early College
Naje Gray, Walter M. Williams High School

Emily Wiersma, director of the Elon Academy

The reception was a final opportunity for scholars before leaving high school to be encouraged with support from mentors who have been with them over the past three years.

“As you step into this next chapter, know this: you are ready,” said Elon Academy Director Emily Wiersma. “You have the tools, the resilience, and the heart to thrive. Life will bring challenges, yes, but it will also bring new mentors, new questions, and new opportunities to grow. Embrace it all. Stay curious. Stay connected to this community. Support from the Elon Academy does not end here today … most of all, continue to believe in yourself as fiercely as we believe in you.”

Elon Academy Assistant Director of College Success Manny Campos emphasized the same point in closing the program.

“Believe in yourself. Believe that all the struggles you’ve faced prepared you and taught you what you need to succeed,” he said. “Your college acceptances and your college degrees were no mistakes, you did that. Now let’s be real. It may get difficult. Life won’t always be rainbows and butterflies.

“On those days that feel heavy and you feel like giving up, because those days will come, remember everyone here, remember the journey, and remember why you stayed. You did the work and you are more than capable of succeeding.”

President Connie Ledoux Book featured on expert panel about artificial intelligence

Avery Craine Powell — Thu, 21 May 2026 18:29:51 +0000

�þ�� President Connie Ledoux Book

�þ�� President Connie Ledoux Book offered her insight on the implications of artificial intelligence during an expert panel hosted by The Conference Board, a global, nonprofit think tank and business membership organization.

The virtual panel on May 21 featured Book; Anand Eswaran, chief executive officer of Veeam; and Joe Sutherland, director of the Center for AI Learning at Emory University, and it focused on five issues:

How leading companies are prioritizing AI use cases that deliver measurable ROI
How organizations are building AI governance – risk management, privacy, security and compliance – without slowing innovation
What “scaling AI” looks like in practice across key functions
How policy can support an AI innovation ecosystem while managing potential risks
How policymakers could help prepare employees to succeed in firms using AI

All of the panelists were asked about one development they think people underestimate about the way AI may reshape business, work or daily life. For Book, it’s the “deepening value of humanness.”

“Most people are asking this question … about which jobs AI will replace, but the bigger story is what human capabilities will become newly scarce and newly valuable,” she said. “I think of those as judgments, and the ability to build trust, mentor, and ask better questions are all human capabilities. The institutions and organizations that invest in that are going to be the leaders in five years.”

Book was asked about Elon’s research on AI in higher education, including a November 2025 survey of 1,057 faculty by the American Association of Colleges and Universities��Ի��Elon’s Imagining the Digital Future Center. The survey found widespread concern and skepticism about generative artificial intelligence affecting their �þ�� and student performance across academic disciplines.

“Faculty are not, by majority, anti-AI. They are deeply concerned that we get it right, that we get it right in our universe, and they’re looking for leadership on that,” Book said. “A majority of faculty already said they’re �þ�� AI literacy … They’re �þ�� things about bias, hallucinations, ethics and integrity. You see this unfold across universities.”

The survey also found concern over the over-reliance on AI by students. Book noted that it’s important to differentiate “over-reliance” from cheating.

“This is an over-reliance where they’re diminishing critical thinking,” she said. “They’re ‘AI dependent’ on what the answer is, rather than ‘human dominant,’ which is where we want them to take all of those liberal arts and learning skills, and really be human dominant through the technology.”

Eswaran said that adaptability to AI will be key for the workforce, and Book said that AI could even lead to more room for a liberal arts education and better workforce preparation for students.

“I think it creates even more demand for a liberal arts background,” she said. “We tend to think of ‘either or’ – either you’re a technical skills person, a STEM person, or a liberal arts person. I do think the ‘and’ is going to be even more critical in our understanding.”

Undergraduate research opens unexpected doors for Lucy McAfee ’26

Tommy Kopetskie — Fri, 15 May 2026 18:08:28 +0000

Lucy McAfee ’26 shared her research examining the NCAA transfer portal’s impact on high school football recruiting during �þ��’s Spring Undergraduate Research Forum in April. The exercise science and sport management double major presented her project during a poster session in Alumni Gym.

When arrived at �þ�� as a first-year student, she envisioned a future in physical therapy.

Four years later, the graduating senior leaves Elon not only with two majors, but with published scholarship, national conference presentations, and a growing passion for research that ultimately reshaped her career ambitions.

McAfee gained hands-on experience with departmental operations, compliance and the NCAA transfer portal during a Winter Term executive internship with Elon Athletics.

This winter, the native of Walnut Creek, California, served as lead author on a research publication in the , collaborating with Elon faculty members Alex Traugutt, Caroline Ketcham and Eric Hall. The publication represents the latest milestone in a research journey that began during her sophomore year, when she approached Ketcham about becoming involved with Elon BrainCARE.

“At the time, I was an exercise science major planning to apply to physical therapy school, so while I was genuinely interested in concussions and brain health, I also saw research as a way to deepen my involvement at Elon and strengthen my future applications,” McAfee said.

As she became more involved with research, McAfee’s interests evolved beyond concussions and brain injuries. While reviewing existing scholarship, she became increasingly interested in the ways athletics influence student-athletes off the playing field.

“One article in particular sparked my curiosity about how sports shape athletes beyond their playing careers,” McAfee said. “This led me to explore whether competitive sports help develop career readiness and how athlete identity may influence academic performance.”

Those experiences ultimately inspired McAfee to add sport management as a second major, where she met Traugutt during her first course in the department.

During the Department of Sport Management’s senior celebration in May, McAfee collected both the department’s Achievement Award and the Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award. Also pictured is Alex Traugutt, assistant professor of sport management.

“Lucy is an intellectually driven student researcher who, over nearly three years of collaboration, led data collection, identified research topics and conducted analyses that resulted in two first-author peer-reviewed publications before completing her �þ�� degree,” said Traugutt, assistant professor of sport management.

Traugutt explained that McAfee distinguished herself through both her intellectual curiosity and her ability to connect research with practical application.

“What sets Lucy apart is her ability to bridge scholarship and practice,” Traugutt said, noting that she has presented research twice at the Applied Sport Management Conference and participated in multiple SURF and SURE programs.

McAfee said that working closely with Traugutt, Ketcham and Hall helped strengthen both her confidence and critical-thinking skills.

“When I first started doing research, I felt uncertain about my future and my own abilities,” McAfee said. “Dr. Alex Traugutt, Dr. Caroline Ketcham and Dr. Eric Hall each played a key role in guiding me, giving me direction, and helping me build confidence in my research skills.”

She especially valued the collaborative nature of the work.

“I particularly enjoyed our meetings – especially the ones at The Oak House – where we would dissect the data together,” McAfee said. “Consistently learning and discussing research with such knowledgeable professors pushed me to think more critically and challenged me to contribute insights of my own.”

McAfee’s recent publication is not expected to be her last contribution to the field. In addition to a forthcoming publication in Case Studies in Sport Management examining career readiness programming for student-athletes, she and Traugutt recently submitted a third research paper examining the NCAA transfer portal and high school recruiting opportunities in college football to the Journal of Applied Sport Management.

That research grew out of McAfee’s desire to better understand the rapidly changing dynamics of college athletics.

As part of her internship with the Atlantic Coast Conference, McAfee ’26 explored topical issues in college athletics, such as the House settlement and the SCORE Act, which sparked her interest in how legislation and policy impact college athletics.

“My interest in the transfer portal stemmed from conversations during my time at the ACC, where its impact on various stakeholders was frequently discussed,” said McAfee, who completed an internship with the Power 4 conference last summer. “However, I noticed there was limited research regarding its effects on high school athletes. I saw that as an opportunity to contribute meaningful new knowledge to the field of sport management.”

Traugutt said McAfee’s work stands out for both its academic rigor and its broader relevance within athletics and higher education.

“Her work examining athletic identity, career readiness and student-athlete development is not only carefully designed and executed, but deeply meaningful, directly addressing questions that matter to practitioners and institutions alike,” Traugutt said.

McAfee also served as an executive intern with Elon Athletics, an experience Traugutt said complemented the practical focus of her research.

After graduation, McAfee will pursue a master’s degree in higher education at Boston College, where she will hold two graduate assistantships – one as a student-athlete academic adviser within Boston College Athletics and another with Tufts Medical School’s graduate student services department.

Traugutt said those opportunities speak to both McAfee’s academic growth and the practical focus she brought to her research throughout her time at Elon.

“These achievements reflect a student who takes her work seriously and understands its real-world implications,” Traugutt said. “I have no doubt she will carry that same curiosity, independence and commitment into her graduate studies at Boston College and beyond.”

As Commencement approaches, McAfee said her �þ�� research experiences transformed her Elon journey in ways she never anticipated.

“When I received my acorn at convocation, I never imagined I would be doing research at this level,” McAfee said. “Now, as I prepare to receive my sapling at Baccalaureate, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities and support that made that possible.”

Office of the President | Today at Elon | �þ���

The Groundlings award-winning improv training comes to �þ��� Los Angeles