Lisa Merritt Hometown: McAlester, Okla. Last College: Oklahoma State University Position: Assistant Athletics Dir. for Academics Email: lisa@latech.edu Graduated: 1991

Lisa Merritt is now in her fourth year as a member of the Louisiana Tech athletics department staff serving as assistant athletics director for academics.

Merritt joined the athletics department after serving for 11 years in the speech department with her husband Kevin where she has taught speech classes while serving as an academic advisor for students majoring in speech communication.

Since joining the Tech athletics department, Merritt has teamed up with student success specialist Missy Farrar to help the University's student-athletes excel in the classroom. This past year, they were instrumental in helping eight of the 16 NCAA sanctioned programs at LA Tech earn their highest multi-year APR score ever while also seeing 94 student-athletes earn Academic all-WAC honors.

LA Tech's student-athlete graduation rate continues to be one of the highest in the state and honors include numerous individual success stories such as sprinter Antoinette Cobb earning the 2010 Honda Inspiration Award and catcher Clint Ewing earning a spot on the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic all-American Team. Outfielder Clint Stubbs was named the outstanding speech communication student this past April.

Tech's student-athletes also show incredible diversity when it comes to majors as each of the University's five colleges and virtually every degree program on campus boast at least one Tech student-athlete.

In her current role, Merritt oversees the student-athletes' academic progress and success while advising them regarding class schedules and degree plans, monitoring eligibility status and providing general academic guidance.

Merritt also runs the athletic academic center, provides "Life Skills" seminars for student-athletes, meets with prospective recruits, and serves as faculty advisor for SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee).

SAAC is a pro-active group of student-athletes communicating views or comments on WAC and NCAA rules and governance, which helps to ensure academic and athletic excellence for all student-athletes. Members of SAAC are also active in various community service projects such as hosting an annual Halloween carnival as well as serving as greeters for the annual St. Jude's Radiothon, participating in the Big Event, and supporting the WAC's charity of choice.

Merritt oversees and reviews the advising process to ensure compliance with both university and NCAA policies and serves as a liaison between faculty and coaches, as well as speaks at "New Faculty Orientation" each fall and during the year to the University Senate. She also meets recruits and their families to describe the college experience and how it will affect the student-athlete.

Merritt earned her bachelor's degree in agricultural economics in 1991 and master's in speech communication consultancy in 1994 both from Oklahoma State University.

She and her husband taught conversational English in Kyoto, Japan, for one year before coming to Louisiana Tech.

Outside of work, Merritt is a huge health and fitness buff who loves cycling (road and mountain), running and swimming. In 2002, Merritt and her husband completed the Florida Ironman Triathlon

Merritt and her husband Kevin reside in Ruston and have a six-year old daughter named Maisie and the couple are expecting their second child in December.