Smith fills major role for UCI

Paula Smith has been hired as as Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator at UC Irvine, Anteaters’ Athletic Director Bob Chichester announced Monday.

Smith returns to UCI after serving in a similar position at UC Riverside for the past five years.

At UCI, she will serve as member of the Athletic Department’s senior management team and also will be part of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. In conjunction with the Director of Athletics, she will provide leadership and assistance for Department staff’s compliance with department, campus, conference, NCAA, and government rules, regulations, and policies.

Smith will provide administrative supervision of several of UCI’s athletic programs and will serve as the university’s Senior Woman Administrator to the NCAA and Big West Conference.

In addition to her UCI duties, Smith was recently selected to serve on the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet.

Smith was the Assistant Athletic Director for Student Services at UCI from 1999-2001, directing the academic support programs and supervising and evaluating the CHAMPS Life Skills program.

Prior to UCI, Smith worked for 11 years at the Big West Conference, serving in several roles, including assistant commissioner, compliance administrator and coordinating championships.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for me and I am excited about returning to UC Irvine,” said Smith, who graduated from New Mexico State University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

“I am eager to cultivate new relationships with our student-athletes, coaches, staff and members of the entire university and community. I look forward to assisting UCI in its continued athletic success on and off the field.”

Said Chichester: “On behalf of our Athletic Department staff, we are all very excited about Paula’s return to UCI, particularly in the role of our Senior Woman Administrator.

“Our Department and the Campus will greatly benefit from her experience, personality, and professionalism. Paula is very highly thought of by so many people here and throughout the Big West Conference. We truly recognize how much Paula will be missed at UCR because of her outstanding work there. We are all very much looking forward to working with Paula again.”

Smith replaces Stephanie Shrieve who became the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at St. Mary’s.dpt-ucismith18.IMGGraphicInfo0V1T1QF7200607180V1T1QF7Caption: No Caption