Deborah A. Yow-Bowden, a 1974 Elon graduate and director of athletics at the University of Maryland, will deliver the commencement address at Elon University on Saturday, May 24. Details...
Yow-Bowden is in her ninth year as director of athletics at Maryland. She has balanced the budget of the 25-sport athletics program, eradicating a $51 million deficit she inherited when she was named to the post in 1994.
A native of Gibsonville, N.C., just two miles from the Elon campus, Yow-Bowden is highly respected in her field. She has served as president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, leading 6,100 members who represent 1,600 colleges in the United States and Canada. She has also served on the NCAA Management Council and the NCAA Division I budget committee.
During her tenure, the Terrapins have won nine NCAA national championships, including the school’s first men’s basketball title in the 2001-02 season. Yow-Bowden has also emphasized academic success, committing new resources to academic support services for student-athletes. Maryland’s graduation rate for student-athletes is 85 percent under her direction.
She has expanded marketing and fundraising efforts for the department, increasing private gifts to Maryland athletics by 240 percent and corporate sponsorship revenues by 275 percent. Practice and playing facilities have been enhanced under Yow-Bowden’s leadership, punctuated by the opening of the $125 million Comcast Center arena in November 2002.
Yow-Bowden came to Maryland after a highly successful tenure as the athletics director at St. Louis University. She also held administrative posts at the University of Florida and University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
The May 24 commencement exercises will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the historic area under the oaks in front of West Residence Hall.