Reyna Gilbert-Lowry elevated to Senior Associate AD for Inclusive Excellence and Alumni Engagement

Tech’s senior woman administrator to oversee Monogram Club moving forward

General 8/16/2022 3:00:00 PM

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech director of athletics Whit Babcock announced Tuesday that Reyna Gilbert-Lowry has been elevated to senior associate athletics director for inclusive excellence and alumni engagement.

In her new role, Gilbert-Lowry will focus on bolstering Virginia Tech's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, while transitioning to a leadership role with the Hokies' Monogram Club. She will also continue in her role as Tech's senior woman administrator.

"Virginia Tech is committed to providing a first-class experience for our student-athletes throughout their time in Blacksburg and beyond," Babcock said. "Reyna has contributed to that commitment daily through her leadership in student-athlete development and our DEI initiatives. She has inspired and impacted countless lives and will continue to do so in this expanded role."

Since her arrival in Blacksburg in 2008, Gilbert-Lowry has been a valuable advocate for student-athlete development and DEI efforts. She serves as chair of Tech's Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Council, which is keenly focused on fostering a culture that accepts, affirms, and values all individuals and their unique contributions to Virginia Tech and the broader community.

Within the last year, Gilbert-Lowry has collaborated with Tech's student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) to host a unity walk and a "unity through awareness" panel in an effort to move from awareness to action. Gilbert-Lowry is also a representative of the ACC's Champions of Racial Equity (C.O.R.E).

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to support our department in this new capacity," Gilbert-Lowry emphasized. "I am passionate about working with our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and alumni to increase awareness around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and I look forward to building off the momentum of our Diversity and Inclusion Council."

Previously, Gilbert-Lowry had oversight of the student-athlete development unit. This office is responsible for developing programs to assist student-athletes with preparation for success both in college and after graduation in the core areas of career development, leadership development, and personal development.

Gilbert-Lowry, a 2018 graduate of the NCAA Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, also helped launch the Hokies' "All In" initiative, which creates spaces to connect affinity groups such as black, international and LGBTQ student-athletes.

Using her experience in student-athlete development, Gilbert-Lowry will oversee the Monogram Club, which is a club exclusively for former Tech student-athletes. Gilbert-Lowry has touched countless lives throughout her career, whether they were recruits, student-athletes or alumni, making her the perfect fit to lead the Monogram Club.

Last September, Virginia Tech Athletics launched the Hokie Network, which offers a centralized space for current and future alumni to connect.

"Throughout my career at Tech, I have been fortunate to connect with student-athletes from the recruiting process through graduation, and I look forward to enhancing opportunities for our alumni to engage with one another and with Virginia Tech," Gilbert-Lowry said.

Finally, Gilbert-Lowry will continue as the sport administrator for women's soccer, men's tennis and women's tennis. A former gymnast at Northern Illinois, Gilbert-Lowry will also continue serving on the ACC women's soccer and women's gymnastics sport committees, as well as the student-athlete welfare committee.

A native of Maitland, Fla., Gilbert-Lowry is a 2001 graduate from Northern Illinois University where she earned her bachelor's degree in psychology. She completed her master's degree in sport and exercise psychology, with a minor in counseling, from Ball State in 2004.

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