Eric D. Hunt, coordinator of communications and club sports at Pennsylvania College of Technology, has been selected for the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators Inclusion Fellowship class.
As a member of the fourth CSC Inclusion Fellowship class, provided in partnership with the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, Hunt is part of a diverse group of 12 CSC members who will study issues around championing an inclusive culture in athletics communications and within college athletics during the 2024-25 academic year.
"The commitment from CSC and the Knight Commission to fully support this fellowship shows the significance and importance of having this kind of educational opportunity for our CSC members," said Scottie Rodgers, CSC Inclusion Fellowship co-founder, CSC Inclusion Committee chair and vice president of communications at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. "I am proud of the fellowship's success in its first three years and excited about how this fourth cohort will continue to provide our members the information, resources and knowledge to grow professionally and personally."
The program kicked off on Sept. 26 and culminates at the 2025 CSC Unite Convention, set for June in Orlando, where the fellows will be recognized and assist in executing the convention's inclusion-based programming.
"I look forward to connecting and learning from others in the athletic communications space," Hunt said. "I always look for ways to gain new ideas and continue to grow as a young professional, adding tools in the toolbox to advance my career, which the CSC Inclusion Fellowship can provide. I applied for the fellowship after I participated in the NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar last year because it really opened up my knowledge of the resources and offerings the NCAA and other collegiate organizations provide for professional development.”
Monthly sessions will center on how to champion an inclusive culture in the workplace through leadership, mentorship and inclusive best practices. Fellows will be challenged to take a deeper examination of their offices, communication strategies, constituents, hiring practices and themselves. Program faculty will include highly regarded thought leaders from within college athletics and outside the industry. The program is administered by members of CSC's Inclusion Committee.
Introduced in early 2022, the Inclusion Fellowship is a year-long educational series for select members of CSC designed to provide insights into inclusive issues, values and opportunities for communication professionals in college sports. The program, a partnership between CSC and the Knight Commission, encourages a greater understanding of how those in athletics communications offices at all levels become effective champions for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in college athletics.
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