UREC student employees recognized with national awards at NIRSA 2019

More than 3,000 collegiate recreation students, professionals, and exhibitors gathered at the 2019 NIRSA (Leaders in Collegiate Recreation) Annual Conference February 16-19, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts.

NIRSA comprises and supports leaders in collegiate recreation. Undergraduates, graduate assistants, and professional staff represented James Madison University at the conference, and were proud to accept several student leadership awards and scholarships.

National Awards

William N. Wasson Student Leadership & Academic Awards

This national award recognizes outstanding students who are actively involved with the Department of Recreational Sports on their university or college campus.

• Katy Morgan, UREC Student Employee (Operations)
• Emily Murphy, UREC Student Employee (Intramural Sports)
• Katie Regan, UREC Graduate Assistant (Reservations and Event Operations)

2019 NIRSA Foundation Awards

• Team’s for Students, by Students Scholarship: Dominic Infanti, UREC Student Employee (Informal Recreation, Intramural Sports, Youth Programs, and Event Operations Specialist)
• Gartenburg Scholarship: Katie Regan, UREC Graduate Assistant (Reservations and Event Operations)

Regional Awards

NIRSA Region II Student Excellence Scholarship

This regional award scholarship recognizes outstanding collegiate recreation student members for their service and dedication to the region. These members continually “set the standard” or “epitomize leadership” on campuses across the region.

• Dominic Infanti, UREC Student Employee (Informal Recreation, Intramural Sports, Youth Programs, and Event Operations Specialist)
• Katie Regan, UREC Graduate Assistant (Reservations and Event Operations)
• Katy Morgan, UREC Student Employee (Operations)
• Emily Murphy, UREC Student Employee (Intramural Sports)

State Awards

VRSA Award of Merit

The VRSA Award of Merit is a scholarship provided to students and professionals as a means of recognizing outstanding contribution, involvement, and exceptional performance within a particular campus recreation department as well as on a state or national scale within NIRSA, the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association.

• Katie Regan, UREC Graduate Assistant (Reservations and Event Operations)

About the Students

Katie Regan, UREC Graduate Assistant (Reservations and Event Operations)

Katie is currently in her second year as a UREC Graduate Assistant. On top of her Marketing, Reservations and Events, and Facility Operations experience, Katie also holds certificates in Personal Training and Exercise Fitness Nutrition. Katie’s involvement goes beyond the campus level, she attended the VRSA State Workshop in 2017, presented at the 2018 VRSA State Workshop, and she has attended several regional and national NIRSA conferences. She is also served on the NIRSA Region II Student Lead On Committee and is participating in the NIRSA Mentor program.

“What sets Katie apart is not her résumé of involvement; it is the impact that she has every day in our department that makes her worthy of the William N. Wasson award,” said Lorie Miller, Senior Assistant Director for Reservations and Events and Kaitlin Pomerleau, Assistant Director for Marketing and Social Media.

Katy Morgan, UREC Student Employee (Operations)

Katy currently holds the position as an Operations Supervisor at UREC. She has attended and presented at multiple national and regional NIRSA conferences, is actively involved with the NIRSA mentorship program, and was a recipient of our top student development award by attending several UREC developmental Student Leadership programs. During her time at JMU, she became the first undergraduate student to contribute to an endowment that was created to provide a scholarship for future University Recreation students.

“Katy is an individual who is confident in her abilities and contains a passion for the field of Campus Recreation,” Aaron Combs, the Assistant Director for Operations said. “Overall, she is a dedicated, passionate and influential leader within our organization.”

Emily Murphy, UREC Student Employee (Intramural Sports)

Emily is in her second year as a Site Manager and also serves as a Lead Site Manager in Intramural Sports at James Madison University Recreation (UREC). Emily is highly regarded and respected by her peers as a leader because of her desire to learn and help educate her fellow student employees. She currently stands as the Secretary for JMU’s Student Officials Association, she assisted in starting a mentorship program for first-year students, she is entering her second year of high-school basketball officiating with the Shenandoah Basketball Officials Association, she served on the Officials Sub-Committee for the VRSA State Basketball Tournament in 2018, and she was a presenter at the 2018 NIRSA Region II Conference.

“To say that Emily is passionate about collegiate recreation and student development would be a severe understatement,” Jon Corum, the Coordinator of Intramural Sports and Inclusive Recreation at UREC, said. “While she excels with the responsibilities with which she is tasked, her outstanding strength is that she is always seeking the next opportunity through which she can learn something new.“

Dominic Infanti, UREC Student Employee (Informal Recreation, Intramural Sports, Youth Programs, and Event Operations Specialist)

Dominic is currently in his second year as a Graduate Student in the Sport and Recreation Leadership – Campus Recreation Master’s program. Dominic has held many positions at UREC, including Event Operations Specialist, Kids’ Night Out Counselor, Informal Recreation Manager, and Intramural Sports official. He has attended numerous collegiate recreation conferences including the 2017 and 2018 VRSA State Workshop, NIRSA Region II Conference, and 2019 NIRSA Annual Conference. At JMU, he volunteers on the Madipalooza Committee and enjoys staying active, especially through boxing.

“Throughout his experience here at UREC, Dominic has succeeded in expanding his knowledge and understanding of campus recreation. He has a desire to help others around him and serve as a role model to his peers. His passion for campus recreation and desire to learn sets him apart from the rest!” Sarah Wright, Coordinator of Informal Recreation and Youth Programs, said.