Daemen College President Gary A. Olson has appointed Bridget Niland as director of athletics. A member of the college faculty since 2006, she replaces William Morris, who has left to pursue other opportunities.

In addition, Jessica Gorski has been promoted to associate athletic director for sport administration as the athletic department continues to strengthen in light of its advancement to the Provisional Year of the NCAA Division II membership process.

“These two appointments will go a long way to move Daemen athletics to new levels of excellence,” said Olson. “We are now perfectly positioned to gain full NCAA membership.”

With Niland’s appointment as Daemen’s athletic director, she becomes, at present, only the second woman in that role at a Western New York college, joining Medaille College's Amy DeKay.

Ambassador Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, consul general of India in New York, will be the first international presenter in the Daemen College Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series being held at 4:30 p.m. July 25 in the Wick Campus Center Social Room.

“Emerging India and Indo-American Relations” will be discussed by Mulay, a career diplomat who has been with the Indian Foreign Service for more than 30 years.

Prior to his appointment as consul general in 2013, Mulay served as high commissioner of India to Maldives and is credited with making significant progress in Indo-Maldivian relations. He previously held posts at Indian missions in Tokyo, Moscow, Port Louis, and Damascus. He also had assignments in India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of Finance and was an advisor in the Cabinet Secretariat.

The NCAA Division II membership committee has advanced Daemen College to Provisional Year status, President Gary A. Olson has reported. With the advancement to the Provisional Year of the membership process, Daemen is on track to being granted active member status next summer, becoming the first and only NCAA Division II institution in the Greater Buffalo Region.

“We are delighted to advance in the NCAA membership process,” Olson said. “This is a tribute not only to our excellent coaches and student-athletes but also to our hard-working athletics staff and administration.”

Benefits of progressing to the Provisional Year include use of the widely recognizable NCAA logo, as well as the College's right to officially brand itself as an NCAA Division II member.