MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg Director of Athletics Rahsaan Carlton has announced that Dr. Rebecca Weiler-Timmins will succeed Joseph Cecere as the college's Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) effective immediately.
Weiler-Timmins is an Associate Teaching Professor of Kinesiology for the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education, as well as the coordinator of the Kinesiology program at Penn State Harrisburg. She takes over as Faculty Athletic Representative after 16 years of service in the role by Cecere.
"We are super excited about Dr. Weiler-Timmins becoming our next Faculty Athletic Representative," said Carlton. "She has the ideal experience and background to thrive in this role. She will be involved in important discussions at the University, conference, and NCAA levels."
In 2011, Weiler-Timmins earned her Doctorate of Education from Penn State after earning her Masters of Education from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in 1997. She received her Bachelors of Science from Manhattan College two years earlier. She accepted her faculty position at Penn State Harrisburg in 2006 and added her coordinator position in 2015. Her responsibilities have included the formation and coordination of the Kinesiology program, the teaching of undergraduate courses, and serving as the Director of the Center for Fitness and Wellness.
"I am truly honored to become the next Faculty Athletic Representative for Penn State Harrisburg," said Weiler-Timmins regarding her new role. "I look forward to working with the student-athletes, coaches, and administrators in this capacity."
In addition to her academic output, Weiler-Timmins has been a staple of college athletics since her days as a women's basketball player at Manhattan College. She netted more than 950 points for the Lady Jaspers before transitioning to coaching in 1995. After a stint as a women's basketball graduate assistant at TCNJ, she joined the staff at Division I Bucknell in 1997. The following season saw her head to the Ivy League as an assistant at Princeton before being named the women's basketball head coach at Mary Washington in 2001.
Weiler-Timmins' appointment as Faculty Athletic Representative comes on the heels of a decade-plus of service in the role by Cecere. An Associate Professor of Engineering for the School of Science, Engineering, and Technology, he served as FAR since the college's reinstatement of intercollegiate athletics prior to the 2005-06 academic year. He proved an invaluable resource for the athletic department, helping bridge the gap and foster the ongoing cohesion between athletics and academics at Penn State Harrisburg.
"I want to thank Dr. Cecere for his great work in the FAR role over the past 15 years," said Carlton. "It was with his help that we were able to develop and establish a great relationship between athletics and our campus faculty members."
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