Alumni Profiles

Frances Shavers, Ed.D.'04, Higher Education

Under the supervision of her committee members Professors Richard Chait, chair, Judith Block McLaughlin, and Pedro Noguera, Frances Shavers explored the complexities of university decision-making in the arena of big time sports. Who Calls the Plays? The Role of the University President and Other Participants in Division I Athletics-Related Decisions (17KB pdf) focuses on three case studies of presidential influence at Division 1 institutions. Upon graduating, Frances returned to her alma mater, University of Notre Dame, where she currently serves as Executive Assistant to the President, serving as the liaison for the president in matters of athletics, community relations, government relations, and alumni relations. A Gates Millennium Scholar at Harvard, Shavers received the K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award in 2000 from the American Association of Higher Education (AAHE).