SOUTH BEND, Ind. — JP Abercrumbie has been named the University of Notre Dame’s Executive Associate Athletics Director for Culture & Engagement. Abercrumbie joins the Irish after spending the past three years at Rice University.
“We could not be more excited for JP (Abercrumbie) to join the Notre Dame family,” said Athletics Strategy & Culture Advisor Jenny Borg. “As we recruited to fill this impactful role that would lead many key initiatives including our StandTogether promise, her name kept coming up over and over. The depth of her experience as a student-athlete and administrator in higher education, proven track record of accomplishment and passion for building an inclusive culture made her the perfect fit to lead us forward in this role.”
In her role at Notre Dame, Abercrumbie will steward a culture of inclusive excellence in Notre Dame Athletics through leading the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The role will include active engagement and relationship building with student-athletes, staff, coaches, campus and industry colleagues, the local community and alumni.
Prior to Notre Dame, Abercrumbie served in a number of roles at Rice including her most recent as the Associate AD for SOAR/Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. Prior to the expansion of her role, she was the Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development with the Owls.
“It’s a great day to be Irish! Joining Notre Dame Athletics in this role, at this time, is an amazing opportunity to continue serving as a catalyst for positive change, both among the greater University of Notre Dame community and beyond,” said Abercrumbie. “Immense thanks to Jack Swarbrick and Jenny Borg for entrusting me with the critical and essential responsibility of stewarding a community of inclusive excellence where all may thrive.”
During her time at Rice, Abercrumbie oversaw the Student-Athlete Opportunities for Advancement through Rice Values (SOAR) program, a program she launched in 2019. In addition to championing student-athlete wellness and holistic development, Abercrumbie developed alumni/letterwinner engagement opportunities in partnership with the R Association, Owl Club and Owl Club Board, and Association of Rice Alumni and maintained collaborative relationships with several campus and external units resulting in added philanthropy and financial support for the department. Serving as a member of the Owls senior staff, Abercrumbie also assisted with educational efforts related to Title IX/sexual violence prevention and served as a sport administrator for men’s cross country/track and field. As Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Abercrumbie oversaw the design and implementation of Athletics’ diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices, in alignment with campus goals and guidelines and chaired the Owl In Task Force, acting as the primary contact for information related to national, local, and campus level matters related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She was also a member of The WHO (Workplace Happiness Objective), Dean of Undergraduates’ First-Year Experience Working Group, Center for Career Development Internship Council, University’s Corporate Council, and RICEngaged Voter Coalition.
A Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium (CALS) participant, Abercrumbie’s accomplishments also earned her membership into the inaugural Front Office Sports Rising 25 Award class. A 2018 graduate of the NCAA’s prestigious Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, Abercrumbie devotes her time to the advancement of initiatives supported by NCAA Leadership Development, Women Leaders in College Sports, and WeCoach.
Abercrumbie is a member of the MOAA Strategic Partnerships & Development Committee and serves as an Athlete Network National Advisory Board Member, Team IMPACT Advisory Board Member, and Executive Board Member for the Houston Chapter of the National Society of Black Sports Professionals, in addition to service as a USATF Certified Official.
In 2021, Abercrumbie was named the Conference USA Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Choice Award winner, honored by the Conference SAAC as an administrator committed to fostering student-athlete development and welfare through a positive athletic and academic atmosphere.
Abercrumbie joined the Owls from Mississippi State University where she served as the Bulldogs’ Assistant Athletic Director for Life Skills and Community Engagement. There she created the Hail State Life Skills Program, launched and led the Athletics Diversity Council, served as a mentor for MSU’s Day One Leadership Program and was appointed the inaugural Chair of the MSU Office of Institutional Diversity & Inclusion’s Young Professionals Affinity Group. During the 2016-2018 Bulldogs’ Women’s Basketball postseason runs, Abercrumbie served as the Assistant Tournament Manager for the NCAA First and Second Rounds hosted in Starkville, overseeing tournament operations, visiting team hospitality, hotel & lodging accommodations, band and cheer operations and game officials.
Prior to MSU, Abercrumbie served as a Student-Athlete Development Coordinator and Academic Coach at the University of California, Berkeley.
A Chicagoland native, Abercrumbie attended Temple University where she competed in track and field and graduated Cum Laude from the Honors Program, studying linguistic anthropology. Abercrumbie holds a Master’s in the Cultural Studies of Sport in Education from the University of California, Berkeley, completed the Athlete Development Professional Certification Program from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, holds a Change Management Certificate from Cornell University, and holds a Fund Development Certificate from Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.
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