HOUGHTON, N.Y. – Houghton University Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Operations Deanna Hand has been selected to serve as vice chair of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS), the Association-wide body charged with promoting the health and safety of NCAA student-athletes.
 
Hand, who has served on the committee since August 2023 as the Division III Senior Woman Administrator representative, was elected to the vice chair position following the resignation of the committee's chair. The appointment became effective immediately and will run through September 2027, at which time Hand will ascend to the chair position for a one-year term.
 
"I am deeply honored to serve as a member of CSMAS," Hand said. "Over the past two and a half years, I have contributed to critical discussions and decision-making processes that influence the health and well-being of student-athletes across the Association. In my role representing Division III Senior Woman Administrators, the Empire 8 Conference, and Houghton University, I am privileged to advocate for the perspectives and needs of smaller institutions within a national framework."
 
The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports provides expertise and leadership to the Association to promote a healthy and safe environment for student-athletes through research, education, collaboration, and policy development. The committee consists of 25 members from across all divisions, including athletics administrators, coaches, sports medicine professionals, researchers, faculty, and student-athletes.
 
Hand's current term on CSMAS is scheduled to conclude in August 2027. Her election to the vice chair role reflects both her professional expertise in athletic training and sports medicine and her leadership within NCAA governance at the Division III level.
 
"We are proud of Dea and her leadership not only within our Houghton athletic department and the Empire 8, but also on the national stage with the NCAA," said Houghton Director of Athletics Matthew Webb. "The work of CSMAS is vital, and Dea's expertise in this area will serve the NCAA well."
 
A certified athletic trainer and experienced administrator, Hand has served Houghton Athletics in multiple leadership capacities on campus and with the Empire 8 Conference, including oversight of sports medicine operations, serving as deputy Title IX coordinator for the University, and advocating for student-athlete health, safety, and well-being. Her national service continues Houghton University's longstanding commitment to leadership within intercollegiate athletics and to excellence in care for student-athletes.