Jackson State University has named Genese Lavalais as associate athletic director for academics/senior woman administrator.
Lavalais joined the JSU athletics staff on Oct. 14, 2014, as the assistant director of athletics for academics. She came to JSU from Grambling State University, where she served as the coordinator of academic enhancement before being promoted to director of academic enhancement. While at GSU, she played an instrumental role in improving that institution’s 2012-13 APR (academic progress rate) scores.
As the associate athletic director for academics, Lavalais’ responsibilities include oversight of the Athletic Academic Enhancement Center, which provides services to more than 320 student-athletes. Under her leadership, JSU student-athletes lead the SWAC in back-to-back years, having the most student-athletes to earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
In her role as senior women administrator, Lavalais will work to support and manage gender equity and Title IX plans, as well as serve as an advocate for both female and male student-athletes, coaches and staff members.
Lavalais enters her sixth year of serving on the NCAA Region 6 Postgraduate Scholarship committee. She has also served as the chair of the Life Skills committee for N4A (National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics). Because of her dedication to the field, she was the 2014 recipient of the N4A Professional Promise award, reinforcing her position as a well-respected professional in athletics.
Lavalais, a Marksville, La., native, graduated from Southern Arkansas University in 2004 and earned her master’s degree in sports administration from Grambling in 2007. As an undergraduate, she was a member of the women’s basketball team at Southern Arkansas. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.