Former UNLV Life Skills Program coordinator and NCAA Woman of the Year finalist Dr. Marissa Nichols was named Boston University's first Director of Leadership and Career Development in May 2017.
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A softball Division I first team All-American, Dr. Nichols focuses on developing, implementing, and enhancing all programmatic components of the Bloom Family Leadership Initiative (BFLI), assisting nearly 600 student-athletes and coaches. The portfolio of student-athlete development opportunities includes the Bloom Family Leadership Academy (BFLA), The Terrier Network, leveraging numerous campus partnerships, oversight of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Athlete Ally, professional development and networking opportunities, transitional programs for first-year and senior student-athletes, and consultation opportunities.
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Following the conclusion of her collegiate softball career, Dr. Nichols worked as a Life Skills coordinator for UNLV from 2011-15 and then as a consultant for two years. While facilitating all aspects of the Reaching Excellence Beyond Sports (R.E.B.S.) Life Skills program, she assisted 450 student-athletes and focused on developing original curriculum in several areas, including managing time/productivity, leadership, professional etiquette and financial education. She also served as an academic advisor for several teams.
One of the rising student-athlete development professionals, Dr. Nichols built the department's first-ever in-house leadership academy through establishing the Faculty-in-Residence program encompassing campus and community partners. With expertise in leadership development curriculum and facilitation, she regularly leads sessions, workshops, or consultation opportunities for student-athletes, coaches, and teams.
Furthermore, Dr. Nichols spearheaded The Terrier Network, a program to connect current student-athletes with BU Athletics alumni and supporters through mentorship, career guidance, and possible job or internship opportunities - encompassing nearly 200 alumni and supporters in year one. Additionally, she assisted in founding the BU Athlete Ally chapter and created two for-credit leadership development courses for first-year and BFLA student-athletes.
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Dr. Nichols is a published author with a knack for making data-driven decisions to help student-athletes elevate in athletic performance and overall well-being. She helps lead national efforts on quantifying and measuring success in student-athlete development. Her reach includes successive presentations at the national level, engagement in NCAA Leadership Development programs, leading the N4A Standards/Assessment Sub-Committee, and serving as a consultant for Huddle Up, an organization transcending sport for equality and gender equity. She is working towards her Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) certification through the Association of Applied Sport Psychology.
Following the conclusion of her collegiate softball career, Dr. Nichols worked as a Life Skills coordinator for UNLV from 2011-15 and then as a consultant for two years. While facilitating all aspects of the Reaching Excellence Beyond Sports (R.E.B.S.) Life Skills program, she assisted 450 student-athletes and focused on developing original curriculum in several areas, including managing time/productivity, leadership, professional etiquette and financial education. She also served as an academic advisor for several teams.
Dr. Nichols gained valuable experience outside the UNLV athletic department as well. Besides serving as the president of the UNLV Toastmasters Club, she worked for TRIAD Consulting by assessing clients' academic, athletic and personal needs through empirically based pre-and post-evaluations. She also spent a year as a school guidance counselor for Nevada Virtual Academy.
One of the all-time greats in UNLV softball history, Dr. Nichols was a three-time Mountain West Conference Softball Scholar-Athlete selection as well as a three-time All-MWC performer from 2005-10. A resilient competitor and multi-year team captain, Dr. Nichols set the single-season marks for runs, hits, home runs, total bases and stolen bases during her All-American campaign in 2005, and finished her career ranked in the top-10 in nearly every offensive category. She also competed with USA Softball's Elite Team during the summer of 2005.
Dr. Nichols graduated with a bachelor's in human services counseling in 2008 and went on to complete her master's in counselor education in 2010. She logged more than 700 hours in internships, serving as a clinical mental health counselor while also volunteering with many community-based organizations.
She successfully completed the UNLV higher education administration's Ph.D. program by defending her dissertation titled An Examination of Differences in Division I FBS Student-Athlete Academic and Athletic Performance Based on Internal Factors.
The Bloom Family Leadership Academy helps coaches and athletic administrators develop their next generation of student-athlete leaders. It was started in Fall 2013 as a result of a commitment by Boston University alumnus William Bloom (CGS'82 and SMG'84). Bloom, a former BU rugby player, is a member of the Boston University's Athletic Director's Council and also serves as the Athletics Campaign Co-Chair and a Boston University Trustee.
