NEWARK, Del. - - Earlier this year during a men's lacrosse contest, the Wilmington University athletics department and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) honored Dr. Matt Wilson, the University's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR), for winning the 2021 FARA Newcomer of the Year Award.

During his short tenure as the Wildcats' FAR, Dr. Wilson has played a key role in bridging the gap between athletics and the university. He helps host the Annual Green and White Gala as well as multiple faculty luncheons, both in which student-athletes are invited to be a part of and speak to keep the faculty abreast as to how the athletics department is doing. He also helped orchestrate the 2019 NCAA DII Softball East Regional Tournament which was hosted by the Wildcats on the New Castle campus.

He was a key aide through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping student-athletes navigate the shutdown both academically and mentally. Dr. Wilson also helped organize the Faculty Mentor program in the athletics department. Each team is now paired with a faculty or staff member from the University to be a point person between athletics and academics.

SAAC board members Justin Brooks and Kiersten Comer honored Dr. Matt Wilson during halftime of the men's lacrosse game on April 2.