INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After serving on the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Committee, Dr. Jessica Siegele has been named Chair of the committee for the following two years of her term. 
 
"I'm honored to have been selected as Chair of the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Committee," said Siegele. "Supporting student-athletes has always been at the heart of my work, whether as a coach, professor, or administrator. It's especially meaningful to help uphold the opportunities that collegiate swimming and diving provide, both in and out of the pool."
 
One of the main responsibilities of the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Committee is to review bids and selection of Championship sites, athlete selection for the Championships, as well as oversight of the Championship operations. 
 
Siegele has served as a faculty member in the UNCP Department of Kinesiology since 2018 and has been immersed in service opportunities since arriving on campus. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, and also serves as the Recreation and Sport Administration Track Advisor for the department as well. Her committee experience on campus includes the Student Activities and Campus Life Committee, the University Athletic Committee, and the CHS Research and Grants Committee. She also has been the Faculty Athletics Representative for the Black & Gold since 2022. 
 
"Really excited for Dr. Siegele to serve in this leadership capacity and reconnect with her roots as a swim student-athlete," said Director of Athletics Dick Christy. 
 
A two-time all-American at Kentucky from 2001-05, Siegele exited Lexington, Ky., with school records in a pair of individual events, as well as two relay events. A four-time member of the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll, she also earned the program's Best Freshman award in 2002 and was named the UK athletics department's State Farm Scholar-Athlete of the Month amid her senior campaign as well.
 
Following an illustrious career as a student-athlete, Siegele attained assistant coaching stints at four different collegiate institutions, an international organization and a USA Swimming club organization in Fayetteville. She also took on an internship as the event manager with the United States Association of Blind Athletes in 2007.
 
Siegele earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with majors in both marketing and management from Kentucky in 2005, and earned a pair of master's degrees in both business administration and sport business management from Central Florida in 2007. She completed an additional master's degree program in kinesiology and health promotion at California (Pa.) in 2010, and then went on to earn her doctorate of philosophy in kinesiology and sport studies at Tennessee in 2018.