HUNTSVILLE | UAH Director of Athletics Dr. Cade Smith announced the promotion of Dr. Jen Cole to the department's leadership team as Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Affairs and Senior Woman Administrator.
 
"We are thrilled that Dr. Cole is taking over in this role," Dr. Smith said. "She has worked in various aspects of the athletic department for over a decade, and her attention to detail, her growth mindset, and her care for our staff and student-athletes will continue to benefit UAH Athletics and our University as a whole. She has tough shoes to fill, but I am confident that she is ready and will continue to work to find ways to further elevate our department."
 
Dr. Cole rises to the position after serving the department most recently as Assistant Director of Athletics Compliance and Student-Athlete Development since January 2021.
 
"It is an incredible honor to serve our student-athletes, coaches, staff and community in this new role," Dr. Cole said. "I'm so grateful to Dr. Smith for this opportunity, thankful for my steadfast family, friends, and mentors, and am thrilled to continue to be a champion of UAH's commitment to enhancing the Charger experience."
 
"Julie Woltjen's guidance, patience, and wisdom have been invaluable to me. I can't thank her enough for her support and mentorship as I am truly standing on her shoulders and the foundation she's built for so many."
 
Cole is in her 12th overall year with the Chargers, as she previously was on staff as Assistant Athletic Trainer in 2012 before becoming an Assistant Coach for volleyball in 2018.
 
A native of Pennsylvania, Cole has assisted UAH in NCAA compliance rules education and regulation, while overseeing student-athlete development programming. She also served as the sponsor for Student-Athlete Mentors and the UAH Volleyball Club while co-sponsoring the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
In addition to several compliance related improvements, Cole has spearheaded the modernization of the department through compliance software, generating better flow of internal communications between student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
 
In her academic career, Cole received her undergraduate degree in athletic training from Pittsburgh-Bradford in 2009 followed by a graduate assistantship at Edinboro where she earned her Master's in Exercise Science with a concentration in fitness and wellness in 2010. She completed her Doctorate in Kinesiology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2019. Her research investigated the role of student-athlete development at the Division II level.
 
She has gone on to garner certifications as a NSCA certified strength and conditioning specialist, NASM corrective exercise specialist, and NASM fitness and nutrition specialist. Cole has been an instructor in the Department of Kinesiology at UAH since 2012. She is a member of the National Association for Athletics Compliance, the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals, and an affiliate member of the National Collegiate Director of Athletics Association.
 
Cole and her spouse live in Huntsville with their sons Cooper and Carter.