CLARION, Pa. – Clarion University announced today that Dr. Wendy Snodgrass has been elevated to the position of Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, a post she has held on an interim basis since July 2016.  She is the seventh athletic director since 1927 and the first woman to hold the post in Clarion's history.  She is one of four active female athletic directors in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), joining Dr. Karen Hjerpe (California), Suzanne Kilian (Cheyney) and Lisa Goddard McGuirk (Gannon).  Snodgrass spent 11 years as Associate A.D. at Clarion from 2005-16. 
 
"It is my privilege to introduce Dr. Snodgrass as our permanent selection for the athletic director position," Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Susanne Fenske said.  "Over her many years at Clarion she has shown incredible dedication to the mission of the university, giving student-athletes the resources to be successful not just on the field of play but in all of their endeavors after their time at Clarion.  I'm confident she will continue to provide the guidance and vision our department needs as we move forward into the future."
 
"It's an incredible honor to accept the position of Director of Intercollegiate Athletics," Snodgrass said. "It is humbling to think that I will have the opportunity to continue to lead our dedicated group of student-athletes, coaches, and staff members through the exciting changes coming to our department in the future. I would like to thank President Whitney, Dr. Fenske, the search committee, and the members of our university that placed their faith in me. Clarion athletics is rich in athletic tradition and there is great pride in our programs, and we will work hard to make our alumni, donors, community, and the University proud of their Golden Eagles.'
 
In her year as the interim athletic director, Snodgrass was instrumental in helping Clarion secure a bid as the host institution for the 2018 NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships, coming to the A.J. Palumbo Center in December of that year.    She also took on a leadership role in helping to plan athletics events for the university's 150th anniversary celebration in 2017-18.
 
In the previous 11 years as Associate A.D., Snodgrass was prominent among her peers at the university and in the conference, serving as the chair of the Clarion University Intercollegiate Athletics Task Force in 2014.   She acted as the chair of the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving national committee from 2008-13.  In 2010-11 Snodgrass was the Chair of the Joint Committee on NCAA Swimming and Diving for all three divisions.  Snodgrass is currently the PSAC Athletic Director Liaison for Swimming and Diving Championships.  Her other duties at Clarion have included NCAA eligibility certification, compliance and student-athlete progress.
 

A native of Washington, Pa., Snodgrass earned her B.A. Degree in Public Relations with a minor in Marketing from Westminster in 2001.  A three-time NAIA swimming All-American and a four-year letterwinner, she was a team co-captain and a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) All-Academic Team in 1999-2000.  Snodgrass worked as a graduate assistant in the athletic department at California (Pa.) from 2002-03 and earned a Master of Education degree. 
 
Snodgrass earned her Doctor of Education degree in December 2015 from Indiana (Pa.).  Her dissertation was titled "Game On: A Qualitative Study of Leadership Skills Developed Through College Athletics."
 
Snodgrass, and her husband, Jeff Snodgrass have twin daughters, Callie and Maggie.