UC San Diego Supports
Division II Athletics Program With
Addition of New Development Officer
Diana Philippi joins UC San Diego to help cultivate support for Triton Athletics
January 16, 2007
By Jade Berggren
 |
|
In her new role, Diana Philippi will assist in garnering support to enhance and further expand the Triton Athletics program. |
The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) has expanded its athletics program fundraising efforts with the recent appointment of Diana Philippi as associate director of development for Athletics. In her new role, the former San Diego State University assistant athletic director and director of the Aztec Athletic Foundation will manage fundraising activities for UC San Diego Intercollegiate Athletics. The UCSD Tritons boast a total of 29 national championships in seven different team sports, 110 individual national championships and more than 800 student-athletes named All-Americans.
Philippi will work with Intercollegiate Athletics to garner private support for further expansion and enrichment of the university’s program. According to a recent report released by the former president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Cedric Dempsey, UCSD Athletics is underfunded by more than $1 million for its size and caliber. Enhanced development efforts will focus on building more community awareness of the university’s program, student-athlete recruitment, funding team travel, maintenance of facilities and equipment and overall continued advancement of UCSD Athletics, which is currently in Division II of the NCAA.
“We are very excited to have Diana on board with us,” said Earl W. Edwards, director of Athletics at UCSD. “To have a person of her caliber who is totally dedicated to raising funds for intercollegiate athletics puts us in a great position to achieve our goal of becoming the premier NCAA Division II program in the country. Diana’s position within the UCSD Development Office will give us a distinct advantage in finding the right donors who want to be a part of the Triton family.”
Philippi brings to her position extensive higher education experience in management and fundraising for athletics departments. As director of San Diego State University’s Aztec Athletic Foundation, she raised $1.6 million during a 10-week fundraising effort on behalf of the university. At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she was director of the Rebel Athletic Fund, she managed the university athletic department’s annual giving campaign—raising $3.2 million during 2005 alone.
Philippi is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and National Association of Athletic Development Directors, and served as co-chair of the Mountain West Conference Development Committee from 2005-2006. She is also a competitive Masters swimmer and frequent marathon competitor.
Gifts to the UC San Diego Athletics program contribute to the $1 billion fundraising goal of The Campaign for UCSD: Imagine What’s Next.
Media Contacts:
Jade Berggren, (858) 822-5309
Judy Piercey, (858) 534-6128