Bates Scholar-Athlete Society ceremony scheduled for May 28
LEWISTON, Maine — Ndidi Massay, a national figure in the sports and entertainment law and marketing arenas, will deliver the keynote address at the second annual Bates College Scholar-Athlete Society ceremony on May 28, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Alumni Gymnasium.
The Bates Scholar-Athlete Society was created in 2005 to underscore the College’s commitment to the scholar-athlete ideal. The Society includes seniors nominated by their coaches who have compiled a 3.5 grade point average or have received a special nomination from faculty and staff for distinguished academic achievement in their junior and senior years. To be eligible for induction, student athletes must participate in a varsity sport for at least three years.
In addition to honoring graduating students, the Society also annually inducts alumni who distinguish themselves as scholars and athletes in their professional careers, as well as a faculty member or coach who has fostered the scholar-athlete ideal.
Ms. Massay has assembled an impressive and diverse career since graduating from Northwestern University in 1989 as an All-America softball player, then earning her law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1993. Her professional experience includes helping to launch ESPN the Magazine, where she is now general manager; serving as adjunct professor and in-house counsel at the University of San Francisco; and serving as IP Counsel for Quokka.com, the official website of the Sydney Olympics.
This year’s alumni inductees to the Society include Dr. Nancy Cummings ’81, a former multi-sport standout who is now an orthopedic surgeon; Dr. Laurie Whitsel ’87, a former soccer player who became the first woman to head the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, then went on to become the director of advocacy for the American Heart Association; John Douglas ’60, a former track athlete who is now the president of AIM Broadcasting; and Frank McGinty ’71, a former football player who is the vice president and treasurer at Maine Health.
Also to be inducted is the late Frank Keaney ’11, a Basketball Hall of Fame coach who is widely regarded as the architect of fast-break basketball.
Professor Dick Williamson, the former Yale hockey captain, will be honored as the Bates faculty member who during his long and wonderful career truly championed the scholar-athlete ideal.
The Class of 2006 inductees are headed by Timothy B. Austin and Ashley L. Wentworth, the recipients of the 30th Lindholm Scholar-Athlete Awards as the male and female multi-letterwinning athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average. The Class of 2006 also includes Anthony G. Arger, Gabriel J. Belsky, Jacob S. Berkowitz, Joel W. Colony, Erin V. Culbreth, Emily S. Davie, David C. Desjardins, Katherine M. Gatti, Megan E. Germscheid, Megan L. Hamilton, Matthew C. Harrington, Meghan D. Helliesen, Emily A. Hoffer, Adam P. Jaskievic, Cynthia A. Mauer, Stormont F. Qua, Marcia E. Reinauer, Elizabeth M. Santy, David C. Shear, Kristina S. Ten Haagen, Shannon E. Tully, Katharina R. Unger, Kimberly J. Whipkey and Anne B. Whiting.