JCSU Athletics Administrator Accepted into Prestigious Program

JCSU Athletics Administrator Accepted into Prestigious Program
Hendricks Serves Dual Roles Within the University

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – September 26, 2008 – Dr. Denisha L. Hendricks, Assistant Professor of Sports Management and Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator has been selected to participate in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Connections Research and Coaching Clinic. The New Connections program is designed to expand the diversity of perspectives that inform RWJF programming and introduce new researchers and scholars to the Foundation, while simultaneously helping to meet staff needs for data analysis that measures progress towards program objectives. The Clinic will be held during the 2008 American Public Health Association conference in San Diego, CA October 25-26, 2008.

“I am truly excited to have been selected as there are a limited number of slots each year,” remarked Hendricks.

New Connections supports the careers of two types of researchers: Junior Investigators and Senior Consultants. Junior Investigators are individuals who received their doctorate within the last seven years. Senior Consultants have 10-15 years of conducting research in the community. Researchers must be from historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities, which include individuals from ethnic or racial minorities, low-income communities, first-generation college graduates, or others who historically have been underrepresented in research disciplines supported by RWJF (Health Insurance Coverage, Building Human Capital, Childhood Obesity, Public Health, Quality/Equality, and Vulnerable Populations).

Hendricks’ program of research focuses on the health promotion of minority student-athletes as well as establishing student-athletes as a vulnerable population.

As senior woman administrator, she serves on the senior management team and assists with the administration and governance of the department of athletics. She is the CHAMPS/Life Skills coordinator and has been at the forefront of JCSU’s internal operations.

She holds a B.S. degree in physical education/athletic training from the University of South Carolina. She earned a master's and doctoral degree in higher education administration from Auburn University in 2001 and 2004. In fact, Hendricks was the first African-American female to earn a master's degree in higher education administration and the youngest person to earn a doctorate degree in higher education administration at the tender age of 25.