Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced the appointment of Kristie Bowers, Ph.D., as its new associate vice president and director of athletics in August of 2023. Bowers comes from Boston University, where she has served as senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator since 2019. She succeeded Dr. Lee McElroy, who retired after eight years with RPI. Bowers is the first woman appointed to the role in RPI's history.
"It is my pleasure to welcome Kristie Bowers to RPI," said President Marty Schmidt, Ph.D. '81 at the time of her appointment."Her record of helping student-athletes to achieve both athletic and academic excellence makes Dr. Bowers the perfect fit for our community. She is committed to fostering healthy, well-rounded, student leaders, and we look forward to the growth of our programs and new heights of success for our athletes under Dr. Bowers' leadership. We are also very proud to celebrate our first-ever female athletics director!"
Dr. Kristie Bowers enters her second year as the Director of Athletics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2023-2024, following a tremendous first year. Four teams reached the NCAA tournament during her first year and 369 student-athletes were named All-Academic honorees. RPI Athletics also reached historic levels of giving on its second annual RPi Day, achieving a 139 percent increase in funds raised during the 24-hour giving campaign. Additionally, RPI student-athletes continued to excel in the classroom posting a 3.16 grade point average as a department.
At Boston University (BU), Bowers oversaw sport performance, wellness, academic support, leadership, and character and career development of student-athletes. She managed a significant endowment for the personal and professional development of student-athletes, staff, and coaches; a large summer financial aid budget for coursework; and a fueling station budget for student-athletes. She also coordinated the use of an NCAA Student Assistance Fund (SAF) to support additional medical and educational expenses of student-athletes. In the 2021-2022 academic year, all 24 teams at BU earned a grade point average of 3.0 or above, seven teams earned a perfect academic progress rate (APR), and a graduation success rate of 95% was achieved. As sport administrator, Bowers oversaw two Patriot League Championship Titles (Women's Rowing and Men's Lacrosse, 2022), four regular season Patriot League Titles (Women's Soccer 2021, Women's Rowing 2022, Men's Lacrosse 2022, Women's Basketball 2023), and two second-place finishes at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta (Lightweight Rowing 2022, 2023).
Prior to her role at Boston University, Bowers was the assistant athletic director for student-athlete support and development at Binghamton University. She oversaw academic support programs for 400 student-athletes. Bowers served as the liaison to academic awards at the department, university, SUNY, and conference levels. She monitored degree progress and continuing eligibility for 59 student-athletes in the sports of men's and women's basketball and wrestling. Bowers helped the men's basketball team achieve a 1000 APR in both 2017 and 2018.
Previously, she was an academic adviser for the men's soccer and softball teams. Bowers oversaw a $30,000 NCAA Choices grant to support programming efforts toward reduction of risk-taking behaviors of student-athletes. She also helped to secure a $500,000 donation to enhance the aesthetic appeal and support services offered to student-athletes. Bowers' guidance helped lead student-athletes to the highest grade-point average in department history (3.29) in her final semester at Binghamton.
Bowers also served as the sport administrator for women's tennis and as the co-leader for the Bearcats' athletics leadership institute, while managing a support budget for tutoring and mentoring as part of the Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund. Prior, Bowers spent five seasons as an assistant women's soccer coach with the Bearcats, sparking a defensive unit that produced seven shutouts and allowed less than one goal per game in her first year.
As an undergraduate, Bowers was a standout in goal for the Bearcats, helping them earn their first conference title and NCAA berth as a sophomore before finishing fifth in the nation in save percentage the following year. She holds school records for career saves (383) and minutes played (6,544). Following graduation, Bowers was goalkeeper for the Rochester Ravens (2005-06) and Rochester Rhinos (2007) of the United Soccer League's W-League Northern Division.
As the graduate assistant coach and goalkeeper coach for the Western Carolina University (WCU) Catamounts, Bowers helped the program capture the 2008 Southern Conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament.
Bowers earned a Ph.D. in community and public affairs from Binghamton, a master's in teaching from WCU, and a bachelor's in human development from Binghamton. Bowers is married to Leah Bowers (Binghamton '02, '04), a member of the Bearcats' Athletics Hall of Fame.
