Chris Boswell Promoted to Director of Athletic Communications at Alfred

General | 1/5/2022 10:09:00 AM

ALFRED, NY – After a full fall semester of Alfred University Athletics being without a Director of Athletic Communications, longtime assistant Chris Boswell has officially stepped into the role following an announcement by Director of Athletics, Paul Vecchio, to start the 2022 portion of the academic year.
 
"Chris has been with AU for over seven years and has made tremendous contributions to our department in support of our student-athletes and coaches during that time," Vecchio said. "However, this fall, after the departure of former director Nate Smith, Chris proved emphatically that he was ready for the opportunity to direct his own staff and take on a larger leadership role within our department."
 
Previous Director of Athletic Communications, Smith, left AU in August to work at his alma mater, Buffalo State College, leaving Boswell and graduate assistant, Devon Withers, to cover a fall semester in what coaches, athletes and fans were hoping to be as close to as normal, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. "I am very proud of the way Chris, and indeed our entire Athletic Communications staff, stepped up this fall while we were shorthanded and I look forward to him not only taking on our director's role but also to hire an assistant so that we can once again be fully staffed in that area," Vecchio said.
 
"I am very honored for this opportunity and extremely thankful to the Saxon administration and coaching staff for helping me get to this point in my career," Boswell said. "I love it here at Alfred University and especially the opportunity to put my skills in media to good use and to use those skills to promote our amazing student-athletes. Being involved in Saxon Athletics has been a great honor and I wear my purple and gold with pride."
 
Boswell has been at Alfred University since his hiring in October 2014 as the Assistant Sports Information Director, before the position had a title change in 2017 to Assistant Director of Athletic Communications. During his time at AU, he has helped elevate the Saxons' media production with his work in videography and photography to be used on the GoSaxons.com website and the AU Athletic social media accounts. Boswell has used these avenues to promote and report the efforts and accomplishments of student-athletes spanning now eight years. In the fall of 2016, Boswell became the recipient of the NCAA Division III and D3SIDA Recognition Award for his work on the Division III Week video that aired in Spring 2015.
 
"My number one goal is to have a positive impact on a student-athlete's collegiate experience, whether that is through something simple as highlighting their efforts in a press release or something such as showcasing them during NCAA Division III Week," Boswell said. "Our Saxons work so hard, both in the classroom and in their venues of competition. So much so, that I believe it is my office's duty to show everyone how great they are. I have always and will continue to try to give a Division I feel to our Division III student-athletes through the usage of our photos, video and social media branches."
 
Throughout his years at Alfred University, Boswell has helped student-workers learn how to cover home sporting contests through live streaming video and statistics, to working the public address systems in the different facilities. More specifically, Boswell has helped develop graduate students to help further their careers, as two of his graduate assistants are now working in or have worked in Athletic Communications for different institutions.
 
Prior to Alfred University, Boswell worked at Division III Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY where he was the Assistant Sports Information Director for two years. Throughout his career, he has been the Interim Director a total of four times, once at Vassar and three times at Alfred University.
 
Boswell is a 2012 graduate of Mansfield University in Pennsylvania, earning his Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications with focuses in journalism and broadcasting. While at Mansfield, he was a five-year student-working for the Office of Sports Information, working under legendary, Steve McCloskey. Upon graduating, Boswell was the recipient of the prestigious Bill Esposito Memorial Award, presented by the then named, Eastern College Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors Association (ECAC-SIDA), now renamed to EAST-COMM. The award is presented annually to a graduating college senior or first-year graduate student, wishing to pursue a career in athletic communications.
 
Besides his new role as Director of Athletic Communications at Alfred University, Boswell is also one of two staff representatives for Alfred University's chapter of Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), alongside Head Coach Mike Moskowitz of the women's basketball team.
 
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank those that directly helped me in this profession and first and foremost, I have to thank Steve McCloskey as he helped straighten me out in college and not only made me a better professional in the field, but made me a better student and a better person," Boswell said. "I would also like to give a big shout to Eric Bohannon as he got me into the field to begin with. I give thanks to the many directors I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from, Jamie Chagnon, Mark Whitehouse, Brandon Harrison and Nate Smith. Finally, I would like to give thanks to Tony Aquilina, Dakota Pruiss and especially Paul Vecchio for helping me adjust and for supporting myself and my office."