Sport Administrator for Football, Women's Basketball, and Women's Lacrosse
Colgate Vice President and Director of Athletics Nicki Moore named Juliana Smith to the position of Senior Associate Athletics Director/Chief of Staff in July 2018. Smith was promoted to Deputy Athletics Director with the designation of Senior Woman Administrator in April 2019. Upon creation of the NCAA athletics diversity and inclusion designee, known as ADID, Smith was also given that designation.
Smith oversees all staffing for Colgate’s division of physical education, recreation and athletics, including recruitment, hiring, retention and departures. She has or currently represents the division on several league and campus-wide groups including the Faculty Affairs Committee (elected member), Academic Affairs Board (elected member), University Property Committee (elected member), Task Force on Reopening the Colgate Campus (presidential appointee), Patriot League Full-Field Sport Scenario Working Group (appointed member), DEI Advisory Group, DEI Coordination Group, and Capital Planning Committee, a strategic working group focused on long-term, campus-wide capital projects.
Smith chairs the division-wide committee on diversity, equity and inclusion and led the charge in developing its plan for enhancing the diversity of people and ideas represented and promoting a climate of empathy and support for all members of the Colgate community. The Plan to Build an Inclusive Community was unveiled in October 2020.
Smith serves as the sport administrator for football, women’s basketball, and women's lacrosse and has also worked with men’s lacrosse, golf, men's and women's track & field, and men's and women's cross country during her tenure.
Smith joined the Raiders from Oklahoma, where she served the Sooners as the athletics department’s Director of Human Resources from 2015-17 before being promoted in 2017 to Assistant Athletics Director for Human Resources and Administrative Engagement.
Smith previously worked at Oklahoma from 2012-14 as an Athletics Administration/Athletics Diversity Council Graduate Assistant.
In between her Oklahoma stints, Smith served one season at Texas Tech as Director of Operations for men’s and women’s golf, tennis, track and field, and cross country.
“I could not be more excited to have Juliana join our executive leadership team,” Moore said in announcing Smith’s hire. “Not only does she bring a strong set of skills and experiences as well as a keen intellect to the table, but she also carries herself in a manner that builds teams, fosters connections and inspires integrity. She will be a key leader as we begin to clarify our vision, develop our strategic plan and work with partners on campus and in the community to achieve our goals.
“Juliana has connected with student-athletes, coaches and staff at every stop in her journey. She will be an incredible role model and influencer in the lives of Colgate student-athletes. Juliana is a trusted colleague who will raise our game, will convey authentic care and concern for others, and who will help us to thoroughly enjoy the ride.”
Smith managed and provided human resource services for more than 800 Oklahoma Athletics staff members in the areas of talent recruitment, background assessment, development and retention, benefits services and staff development. She was also called on to advise and facilitate searches for and conducted by senior staff members, unit managers and coaches.
She facilitated employment offers and agreements, assisted with contract fulfillment, and maintained policies and guidelines related to gender-based violence, misconduct and harassment – specifically in coordination with Oklahoma’s Title IX policy and NCAA Title IX education requirements.
Smith also served as chair of the Oklahoma Athletics Staff Council and oversaw the department’s Diversity Council, among many other duties.
“Colgate University is an elite academic institution with nationally-recognized athletics programs,” Smith said. “I‘m excited to play my part in advancing the vision we will create under the leadership of Dr. Nicki Moore.
“Nicki is a trusted colleague who has unselfishly invested in my preparation to serve in such a role. I am blessed to be able to serve alongside her as she positions Colgate Athletics for continued and increasing success. Likewise, I am eager to serve as a champion and advocate for our student-athletes, coaches and staff.”
On the professional development front, Smith has been a cohort for the NCAA’s Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, LEAD1 Institute, and the NCAA/Women Leaders in College Sports Institute for Administrative Advancement. She was a 2017 participant in the Big 12 Diversity Program, a 2014 participant in the NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar and a 2013 cohort in the U.S. Olympic Committee’s FLAME Program.
Moore appreciates Smith’s approach to her development as a leader.
“Juliana is both a transformational leader and my most trusted colleague. I have learned, as an Athletics Director, that my most important responsibilities are to hire, develop and empower really good people who are also strong professionals, and to build commitment to a shared vision. Not only is Juliana one of these incredible people on my team – she is a leader within the team. The success we have achieved at Colgate is in large part due to the work she has done both within our department with our coaches and staff, and external to our department, especially through partnerships across campus. Colgate Athletics is making decided strides toward our vision to be an “inclusive community of competitive excellence” in large part because of the courage, commitment and contributions Juliana exhibits daily.”
Smith was an All-America indoor track and field student-athlete at Mississippi. She was the 2009 SEC indoor champion in the weight throw and placed fifth in that event at the 2011 NCAA Indoors to claim her All-America certificate.
Smith was the 2010 Ole Miss nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year.
A native of Loganville, Georgia, Smith graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice. She added a Master of Science in criminal justice from Ole Miss, and then a Master of Education in adult and higher education from Oklahoma.
