BOWIE, Md. – Jolisa Williams, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Bowie State University has been honored by the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA) as a Rising Star Award recipient.
The Rising Star Award honors a CoSIDA member with 10 years of service or less whose work, service, dedication, energy and enthusiasm to the profession make that individual a "rising star" in athletic communications. These honors are presented for distinguished contributions to the profession. All honorees will be recognized during the 2022 CoSIDA Convention, taking place June 26-29 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.
Williams arrived at Bowie State in August of 2021 after spending six years (2015-2021) at Shaw University as the assistant athletic director for media relations.
Williams is responsible for coordinating media relations efforts for all 13 of the Bulldogs athletic programs.
During her tenure at Shaw, Williams rebranded and set new heights for the media relations area that included a redesign of the athletic website and enhancing the social media platforms – which was ranked amongst the top 30 among in Division II, and first in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference (CIAA). She introduced the "Shaw Report," a weekly podcast that featured coaching interviews, recaps and previews of athletic events.
Williams led the department's Shaw Bears Sports Network streaming platform where, for the first time in Shaw history, the department streamed football, men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer and softball all in one season.
Williams was twice named the CIAA John Holley Sports Information Director of the Year, in 2016-17 and 2018-19.
A member of the CIAA Management Council since 2017, she was appointed to her management council seat after being elected president of the CIAA Sports Information Directors Association (CIAA-SIDA). Williams also holds memberships with Women Leaders and Black College Sports Information Directors Association (BC-SIDA).
Prior to her work at Shaw, Williams spent time as the Director of Sports Information & Marketing at Richard Bland College in 2014. She was the main contact for all nine-sport teams including the men's basketball program that captured the 2015 Region 10 Conference title and NJCAA National Championship for DII basketball.
A 2012 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Saint Augustine's University with a degree in sport management, she was a four-year letterwinner and starting point guard for the Lady Falcons women's basketball team. Williams earned a Master's degree from Virginia State in 2014.
Rising Star Award
Presented annually to CoSIDA members – one in the University Division (NCAA DI) and one in the College Division (NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA, Two-year Colleges, U Sports) – with 10 years of service or less whose work at their institution, conference office or intercollegiate athletics-affiliated association and service, dedication, energy and enthusiasm to the profession make that individual a "rising star" in sports information. Voted on by the Special Awards Committee.
For more information on this year's CoSIDA award recipients, click HERE.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State University Athletics and its 13 varsity sports teams, please visit www.bsubulldogs.com.
