On Aug. 22, 2025, University Athletic Association Assistant Commissioner for Communications Timothy Farrell was named the 2024-25 D3SIDA Conference Communicator of the Year.
“I am honored to receive the D3SIDA Conference Communicator of the Year award. It is a testament to the student-athletes and school sports communicators I work with daily. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to share the stories and successes of those associated with the UAA and Division III,” he stated.
Representing the UAA
Farrell, in his second tenure at the UAA, is in his 21st year with the Association. He also served as the first assistant commissioner of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and the first full-time assistant commissioner of the Empire 8. He recently completed his third summer working for USA Volleyball.
“Tim’s passion for storytelling shines through in everything he does. He takes such pride in representing the UAA, and while his written work speaks for itself, it’s the genuine relationships he builds with our student-athletes that truly set him apart,” remarked UAA Commissioner Sarah Otey. “Tim doesn’t just tell their stories – he elevates their voices in a way that reflects who they are and the impact they have on the world. It’s an incredible privilege to work with and learn from Tim daily. I am a better person and professional thanks to his influence.”
“I believe no one deserves this award more than Tim. He writes engaging stories that draw us in and lead us to experience a connection to the people in them. I am honored to work with him,” added UAA Assistant Commissioner for Operations Melissa Curtis, who has worked for the Association since its second year in existence.
“Tim’s work has helped define and share the vision and purpose of the UAA for the member institutions and for the greater Division III athletic community. His many articles over the years have highlighted the principles and practices of the UAA. He has shined his spotlight on outstanding athletes and performances, academic excellence, student leadership, diversity, and the professional success of alumni,” commented Rosalie Resch, who retired in 2022 after 48 years with the University of Chicago and was an instrumental force in the UAA’s rise to prominence.
Rosalie Resch: “Tim is not always the face of the UAA, but he is always our voice.”
“I salute Tim Farrell, this giant of college athletics and communications! While his many accomplishments and projects speak volumes about his unique dedication to the promotion and celebration of student-athletes, we in the UAA are enormously proud to call him our own,” communicated NYU Senior Associate Athletic Director Janice Quinn, who has spent her entire career in the UAA, first as a national championship-winning head women’s basketball coach and then an administrator at NYU. “One can only describe Tim with the highest regard for his robust skills, his thoughtful strategies, and his insightful leadership in addressing important issues of our time. We celebrate his recognition as D3SIDA Conference Communicator of the Year with special pride for the work within the UAA and especially for his tireless efforts toward social justice and helping to provide many of our students with a most valuable mentor.”
Storytelling
For years, Farrell has written multiple stories about student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. In April 2024, he wrote a four-part series entitled “West Africans in the UAA,” sharing the experiences of current and former student-athletes and coaches of West African descent who are a part of the UAA. He previously ran similar multi-part series’ on UAA student-athletes from Hawaii and on the meteoric rise of the University of Chicago’s men’s tennis program. On National Siblings Day on April 10, 2025, Farrell celebrated 17 siblings’ pairs/trios with separate feature stories. In 2024-25, he also wrote pieces about Carnegie Mellon University head track & field coach Gary Aldrich’s Olympic coaching experiences and mental health advocate and former NYU men’s basketball student-athlete Hampton Sanders.
He and editor Curtis were honored nationally for a year-long series in 2020-21 called “Conversations About Race and Racism,” which included reflections from current and former UAA student-athletes, coaches, athletic trainers, and administrators. They have also been honored for stories about the international diversity on the University of Rochester men’s tennis team and for a Title IX tribute to Resch.
“This is a fantastic award for a fantastic person. Tim has done so much for the UAA in telling the stories of the conference. I firsthand understand and appreciate all that he has done. He has written about track & field meets like the Battle for the Obelisk, features on student-athletes for Black History Month, and even telling my story of being a two-time Olympic throws coach for Team USA,” commented Aldrich. “I appreciate everything he does and am thankful he is telling our stories. He works tirelessly to share the numerous great things the conference student-athletes, coaches, and administrators do every day. I was proud and excited for Tim to receive this award!”
“Tim is a great ambassador for all our great universities, but more importantly for all the student-athletes in the UAA. He is a great communicator who genuinely cares about our student-athletes and coaches. I can’t think of anyone more deserving to receive such a prestigious award,” stated Brandeis University head men’s basketball coach Jean Bain.
“Tim embodies the very best of what it means to be a storyteller in college athletics. His professionalism and tireless dedication ensure that the achievements of our athletes and coaches are not only recognized but celebrated in ways that highlight the full humanity behind the competition,” described Carnegie Mellon head softball coach Monica Harrison. “Through his work, he uplifts the excellence of our conference by weaving narratives that capture the impact of sport at the intersection of identity, ambition, and community - showcasing how our student-athletes thrive not just on the field, but in every facet of their lives.”
Farrell has worked closely with many coaches and coaching groups, most recently with current and former UAA wrestling coaches. “Tim is a true testament of what it means to champion student-athletes and their experiences through college athletics and beyond. Tim builds real meaningful relationships with the student-athletes within the UAA to share their stories,” conveyed Case Western Reserve University head wrestling coach David Shapiro.
“Tim has been an incredible advocate for NYU wrestling and student-athletes as a whole. He consistently goes above and beyond to make sure our stories are told, and our accomplishments are highlighted. His passion, energy, and dedication have had a huge impact on our program, and we are all lucky to have his support,” said 2025 NYU wrestling student-athlete graduate Benny Batista.
UAA Hall of Fame
In the fall of 2024, while serving on the committee to celebrate outgoing UAA Executive Director Dick Rasmussen’s impending retirement, Farrell proposed the idea of forming a UAA Hall of Fame and naming it after its first (and at the time, only) recipient, the UAA Richard A. Rasmussen Hall of Fame in June 2024. He assembled a UAA Hall of Fame Committee made up of one veteran representative from each of the eight Association schools as well as Rasmussen and Curtis from the UAA office.
“I was fortunate to work closely with Tim as we selected the first full class of the Richard Rasmussen UAA Hall of Fame. His pride in the success of our students, coaches and administrators was manifest in the care that he took in preparing the information that was necessary for our deliberations,” Resch pointed out.
The committee worked tirelessly for months before announcing the first full class of honorees on June 17, 2025. Farrell worked closely with each of the recipients to ensure the accuracy of what will eventually be plaques for each Hall of Fame member. The accomplishments that will be featured on the plaques will continually reside on the UAA web site beginning later this fall.
Highlighting UAA Student-Athletes
Farrell’s work and storytelling reflect his passion for working alongside, and building relationships with, student-athletes.
"Tim is exceptional at connecting people, empowering voices, and creating space for Black and POC (people of color) voices to be heard in one of the most important and visible conferences at the Division III level. I am truly grateful that I have had the opportunity to be connected to him,” stated RJ Holmes, a basketball student-athlete who earned his master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon in May 2025 and is currently playing professionally in Germany. “His genuine love and care that he shows for the people that he serves is evident in all that he does, and I am so glad to see that it is being recognized through this award.”
Men’s soccer student-athlete Gabe Haithcock and women’s tennis student-athlete Sabrina Loui each graduated Brandeis in May 2025 and worked closely with Farrell. “I couldn’t think of someone more deserving of this award. From the moment I stepped into the UAA, his dedication to justice and making change in the conference was palpable. If someone was trying to make a difference on their campus, he’d be the first person to help in any way possible. He is the one of the kindest people I know, and I couldn’t have done anything on my own campus without his support!” Haithcock explained. “He is truly such a kind and uplifting presence at all events he attends. He dropped everything to help is and make sure we had the resources we needed to put on events that brought people together. I thank him for his immense support and for giving both of us platforms to try to make a difference in the UAA,” said Loui.
Another 2025 graduate, women’s basketball student-athlete Raquel Williams of Rochester, teamed up with Farrell on multiple occasions as well as running many of her own projects that impacted each UAA institution, including a conference-wide civic engagement initiative last fall. “This recognition could not be more well-deserved. Throughout my time at Rochester, I had the privilege of collaborating with Tim on numerous projects, both in my role as a student-athlete and as UAA BLAC (Black Letterwinning Athlete Coalition) President. From the very beginning, I always knew I could come to Tim with any idea, no matter how ambitious, because he approached every conversation with genuine enthusiasm and a willingness to grow and strengthen anything related to the UAA and its student-athletes,” she communicated.
“His openness and creativity created space for initiatives that amplified student voices and strengthened our community,” Wiliams continued. “When I wanted to do a (non-partisan) political engagement campaign throughout the UAA, he jumped on board and did everything in his power to ensure that all eight schools had a thoughtful media and in-person presence. As a student, that type of support inspires you to really do anything. That is truly what you want from any administrator.”
“(Tim) is someone who shows up, whether it’s a small in-season game or a playoff game, and when he walks in the gym, people know he’s there because of the impact he has had, and continues to have, on students’ lives. Tim is extremely humble and listens to students and can pour into them given his own life experiences and as someone who just cares deeply about others. He sees that the world just needs more people who love on others and listens to them. Tim really lives that out,” remarked Emory University May 2025 men’s basketball student-athlete graduate Isaac Snyder.
“One of the things that stands out about Tim is the constant support and encouragement he shows, whether in athletics or when someone is going through a difficult time, like battling an injury,” said Washington University track & field student-athlete Jared Dawkins, who suffered a catastrophic injury at the 2024 UAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and is hoping to return to action in 2026. “He is extremely intentional about building deep, meaningful connections with athletes across the UAA. Tim is the kind of a person who doesn’t just talk about support but actively shows it. He has worked hard to create spaces for athletes to share their lived experiences, both within their sport and outside of it, which has given people a real voice and platform. That kind of leadership is hard to come by and makes a huge, long-lasting impact.”
Beyond the UAA
Farrell has not limited his storytelling or his support of student-athletes and administrators to those who are part of the UAA. Earlier this year, he wrote a story on Ryan Kane of Tufts University, who was honored nationally as leader of the school’s Athlete Ally chapter. Last summer, he wrote a feature story on Heidelberg University football student-athlete Keyshawn Cunningham as well as about Denison University and Johns Hopkins University student-athletes who attended the Black Student-Athlete (BSA) Summit in Los Angeles in May 2024. He has previously featured New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) and Centennial Conference commissioners Patrick Summers and Portia Hoag, respectively, and long-time Division III assistant commissioner Doug Chin.
Farrell served as the UAA Team Leader at the 2025 BSA Summit in Chicago in support of the dozen UAA student-athletes who attended, but he did not limit himself to the UAA or to Division III. On the first full night of the Summit, Farrell teamed with former UAA student-athlete and 2024 BSAS attendee Ivvy Hicks, whose father owns a Caribbean/African restaurant Cade Trinidad in Chicago, to feed not only the UAA attendees, but also various others from multiple schools, including attendees from Denison and Johns Hopkins.
“Sometimes the best connections are found in the strangest of ways like how Tim and I met. From an early-season volleyball tournament to building a bond and his leading the charge in bringing me to the BSA Summit in May. Tim is truly a special person with the most genuine intentions. If you don’t know him yet, reach out and change that. You won’t regret it!” communicated Heidelberg track & field student-athlete Treyvon Hastings.
Thanks to the full support of BSAS founder Leonard Moore, Farrell moderated the first Division III panel in the 10-year history of the event on the main stage with five student-athletes, three of whom were not from the UAA. Williams and NYU men’s basketball student-athlete Bryan Moussako of the UAA were joined on the panel by Kellon Smith and Sydney Brown of Denison and Kendall Dunham of Johns Hopkins.
“Tim has been an incredible mentor to me over the past few years. His guidance has not only helped me grow within the Division III community but also has reinforced the importance of amplifying the voices of Black student-athletes,” explained Smith. “I first met Tim when I was in high school and we immediately formed a strong connection. What stands out most about Tim is his vision. He sees the potential for positive change and relentlessly works to make it a reality. His dedication, leadership, and passion continue to inspire me, and I am grateful for the opportunities to learn from, and collaborate with, him. I look forward to supporting his work and building on the impact he is already making.”
“Having (Tim) in my corner every step of the way was an invaluable experience. He not only moderated our panel on Division III Black experiences with care and thoughtfulness, but he also continuously pushed conversations forward about how we can improve outcomes for Black student-athletes across all levels of sport,” Raquel Williams added. "His dedication to equity, representation, and progress is evident in everything he does. Tim’s recognition as Conference Communicator of the Year reflects not only his extraordinary skill in his profession, but also his commitment to people and to the stories that matter. I am deeply grateful for his partnership, support, and vision, and I look forward to seeing all that he continues to accomplish. This honor is a true testament to his impact.”
"This award is so very well deserved. Tim is incredibly talented at sharing the stories of the UAA, but he also has been so dedicated and passionate about highlighting the experiences of our students of color within Division III," said Keri Alexander Luchowski, the North Coast Athletic Conference Executive Director. "He has generously been a mentor and leader for students within our conference as well as others and has helped countless students find their own voice through his work. I am thrilled that his efforts are being highlighted through this honor."
“Tim is an amazing advocate for all student-athletes, not just in the UAA. Any student-athlete he meets, he welcomes with open arms to hear their stories and help support them in any way. He wants to highlight all the successes of athletes and help them pursue their passions on the field as well,” said WashU senior football student-athlete Fred Ware.
“I wanted to say a huge congratulations to Mr. Tim for being award Conference Communicator of the Year, a recognition that is undoubtedly well deserved. My first encounter with Tim was at the 2025 BSA Summit in Chicago, where his advocacy for his students was immediately recognized. As he attended my panel during the summit, I instantly recognized him because, though I hate to say it, it is not common to see a white male in spaces like these. This shows the advocacy not only for his own student-athletes, but for all the students in this world,” revealed Jabari Vaughn of California State University at Northridge (CSUN). “What stands out about Tim is his understanding of the importance of inclusivity. It means a lot to Black people to see allies who recognize that affecting change requires a collaborative effort. Although Tim and I only met a few months ago, our connection felt instant and has grown stronger through shared experiences beyond the summit. As I am based in California across the country from him, we oftentimes stayed in touch. Recently he came out to California during a brief three-day visit to my area and made it a priority to have lunch with my teammate Caleb (Harrell) and they are currently building a nationwide student-athlete faith group. These relationships and connections are invaluable and Tim’s commitment to making them speaks volumes.”
More Than Athletics
With the academic and athletic excellence that is a trademark of the UAA being rightfully the focus of much of the work for all UAA administrators, Farrell also extends his storytelling and support for another important aspect of so many student-athletes’ lives – their faith.
In March 2024, he wrote a story about Muslim student-athletes who observed Ramadan and the powerful impact it had on them as students and athletes. The following month, he shared the traditions and practices of Jewish student-athletes as Passover was approaching and what it was like to be in school during so many Jewish holidays.
“Tim is truly one of the most incredible people I have met. He’s always positive and he truly cares about the ones he loves. His work has inspired me heavily to continue to do right by others and to become knowledgeable of different cultures,” stated May 2025 CWRU men’s basketball student-athlete graduate Umar Rashid, who was featured in the Ramadan story and is now playing professionally in Ireland. “I can always count on him to check in on me and that’s just a small testament to his outstanding character.”
After a faith get-together led primarily by Denison basketball student-athlete Trevor Reed and NYU Facility Operations Manager Chase Nixon during lunch at the BSA Summit this May, Farrell and author/speaker and former professional basketball player Schwartzen Précil co-founded the Student-Athlete of Faith Bible Study, which held its first monthly virtual meeting this past Sunday, Sept. 7. The group’s leadership is made up of current and former student-athletes who present a Biblical message and lead breakout room discussions connecting student-athletes from all divisions all over the country. Farrell and Précil serve as the support team and work behind the scenes.
“As a speaker at the Black Student-Athlete Summit, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful authentic connections can be and Tim embodies that spirit. His heart for student-athletes goes beyond titles, connecting more than 15 young leaders into a monthly fellowship where faith and friendship continue to grow, Précil said. “I’m grateful for his example and his work reminds us that true leadership is measured by the lives we uplift. His diligence in helping young athletes prepare for the next chapter of their faith journey is nothing short of inspiring.”
“Mr. Tim and I first met at the BSA Summit in Chicago at a faith lunch table talk. I had already heard of him because he works with one of my former high school friends. After that lunch, I was able to have a conversation with him where I could see his sincere heart for helping and wanting the best for others, even people like me who he had only met that day. I have been able to stay in contact with him since and when he reached out to me about helping lead the Bible talks he planned, I was honored. More than that I was inspired because someone that I had only met once in person wanted to spread the Gospel and grow others’ faith by any means necessary,” commented Gonzaga University men’s soccer student-athlete Myles Sandy, who co-presented the main message on the first Bible study with CSUN’s Caleb Harrell. “Mr. Tim has shown to be a person who stands for real relationships and connections. In this whole process, he hasn’t only supported me and my fellow athletes, but has also shown real care for us, wanting to know how he can pray and support us in any way. He is a man of true community, not just someone who brings people together, but someone that cares about everyone in the circle. He is someone who wants to expand his circle and bring more people into the family he has already created.”
“I met Mr. Tim in May, only a few months ago and it feels like I have known him forever. That’s the impact he has on people. Once he enters your life, he becomes a force to be reckoned with. He makes you want to be better in all aspects, changes lives, and gives value to those he interacts with. Knowing him and working with him is like experiencing God’s love firsthand. He is absolutely amazing, and my life has changed abundantly since May. I thank Mr. Tim not only for bringing me closer to God but also for giving me unimaginable opportunities to grow,” described Colorado College track & field student-athlete Zaniya Bruno Munn.
“We started up a Bible study across the nation and it was incredible to see how many students Tim brought together and to hear them mention how they came in contact with Tim and their excitement for this new initiative. It’s incredible and very encouraging to see Tim’s impact on just one Zoom call knowing that is just a small portion of it,” Snyder stated.
“(Tim) is a great advocate and someone who can identify ideas or issues and then has a vision and way to solve them and act. The way he can organize change and just point people in a direction that brings them closer to God is unique and something this world needs more of. A lot of people are just focused on themselves, but Tim is someone who knows how to pour into others and do it at the highest level. He absolutely deserves to be Conference Communicator of the Year because his communication is the way he makes people feel seen and known.” Isaac Snyder