Chris Voelz, Executive Director of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda, announced today the appointment of Warde Manuel to the CWSA Board of Directors. Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics at the University of Michigan joins the CWSA Board of Directors as a District and Divisional representative.

"Warde has proven his commitment to girls and women in sport at every stop in his career,” stated Voelz. “We are thrilled that as a leader in the BIG 10 conference and nationwide he will be bringing his commitment and expertise to The Collegiate Women Sports Awards Board of Directors.”

The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) program recognizes the accomplishments of outstanding female student-athletes in NCAA-member institutions throughout the United States. The CWSA has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for 40 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  

Manuel was named Michigan's Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics on January 29, 2016.

Manuel's return to Ann Arbor brings him full-circle from an accomplished student-athlete and athletic administrator at U-M to a distinguished career as an athletic director and back again.

A three-time Michigan alumnus and two-sport athlete who played football under Bo Schembechler, Manuel returned to U-M following a nearly four-year run as director of athletics at the University of Connecticut.

Manuel is Michigan's 12th athletic director in 150 years of intercollegiate athletics at the university. U-M has 31 teams and more than 900 student-athletes. The self-supporting department has an annual budget of $151 million and a staff of 350.

Manuel became the director of athletics at the University of Connecticut in 2012. UConn teams won six NCAA national championships under Manuel's leadership -- the most ever by UConn teams in a three-year period. In 2014, UConn's three national championship teams (field hockey and men's and women's basketball) all posted perfect 1,000 single-year scores in the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR). In 2015, 13 UConn teams posted perfect single-year scores, marking a dramatic academic improvement at the school.

"I am incredibly honored to join the Collegiate Women Sports Award Board of Directors,” said Warde Manuel, Michigan's Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. “The CWSA is the nation's premier award program and does so much to celebrate incredible athletic achievements by women at all levels of intercollegiate athletics."

"It is wonderful to welcome a great colleague to our board who steps up to support women affirming their participation and their accomplishments at every turn,” stated Jeanne Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the CWSA Board of Directors.