BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock and head coach Justin Fuente announced the addition of Samantha Stewart to Tech's staff as Assistant Athletics Director of Player Engagement for Football on Thursday.
In her role with the Hokies, she will direct and administer programs and services to enhance the personal growth and development of football student-athletes. Stewart will implement personal development programs, coordinate community service activities and will also assist student-athletes in their post-graduate career preparation. In addition, she will also assist the football program's recruiting efforts.
Stewart joins the Hokies from Loyola University in Chicago where she was the Assistant Athletics Director of Academic Services & Student-Athlete Development. In that capacity she was responsible for planning, budgeting, organizing and implementing a comprehensive academic and student development plan across all varsity sports.
During her time at Loyola, the average GPA of all student-athletes rose by nearly 10 percent and the athletic department as a whole boasted a 99 percent graduation and retention rate. Stewart initiated or oversaw many programs during her tenure with the Ramblers, including the school's student-athlete advisory committee, student-athlete orientation, Sweats-2-Suits, Loyola's student-athlete award ceremony. Additionally, she also launched Loyola's athlete-to-athlete mentorship program with a particular emphasis on international student-athletes.
Prior to her arrival at Loyola in 2016, Stewart served as the manager of the student-athlete learning enhancement team at Florida International University. In that capacity she provided on-site academic services for over 500 student-athletes including football, in addition to a myriad of other responsibilities.
A former special education teacher for Teach for America and Fulton County Public Schools in Atlanta, Stewart holds a master's degree from Harvard University's Education School – Mind, Brain and Education. She earned her bachelor's degree from Emory University.
Stewart's husband, Dr. Broderick Turner, teaches at Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business.
https://marketing.pamplin.vt.edu/people/faculty/turner.html
