IMPERATI JOINS LAWRENCE AS NEW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

The Department of Athletics got a new leader in June when Jason Imperati took over as director of athletics.

A native of Long Island, N.Y., Imperati came to Lawrence from Bowie State University in Maryland, where he served as senior associate athletic director for compliance and equipment management.

“This really felt like home,” Imperati said. “It’s just a wonderful opportunity, and I can’t thank the search committee enough for making this happen. The trust and support everyone has given me has been a beautiful thing.”

Imperati brought a wealth of athletic administrative experience to Lawrence. He worked at Bowie State from January 2020 through May 2022. The 37-year-old Imperati supervised all aspects of the NCAA Division II compliance program at Bowie State and coordinated the recruitment activities of prospective student-athletes with head coaches. He also worked with the office of Enrollment Management to maximize institutional resources and manage and maintain all equipment inventory for the department.

NEW COACHES LEAD HOCKEY, TENNIS PROGRAMS

The new academic year brought three new head coaches to the Department of Athletics. Both hockey teams have new leaders heading into the 2022–23 season, and men’s and women’s tennis also has a new head coach.

BRETT WALL is the new men’s hockey coach and came to Lawrence from the Hudson (Wis.) Havoc of the United States Premier Hockey League. A native of Dayton, Ohio, who played collegiately at Lake Superior State University, Wall served as the Havoc’s head coach and general manager since the team joined the USPHL in 2017. Wall succeeds Mike Szkodzinski, who stepped down after 16 seasons.

KEVIN DESSART has taken the reins of the Lawrence women’s hockey team. A native of East Rockaway, N.Y., Dessart came to Lawrence from the University of Colorado, where he coached the women’s club hockey team since 2019. In three years under Dessart’s guidance, the Buffaloes won back-to-back Western Women’s Collegiate Hockey League championships, earning berths in the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championships.

RYAN RUZZICONI already has his first season under his belt as Lawrence’s men’s and women’s tennis coach. Ruzziconi took over the programs in July after coaching women’s tennis at Saginaw Valley State in Michigan since September 2020. He’s a native of Iron River, Mich. In his first season with the Lawrence women this fall, the Vikings finished third in the Midwest Conference and qualified for the league tournament for the third consecutive season.

“Coming to Lawrence was a turning point in my life. I have had opportunities to be a board member for student organizations and participated in the Rabbit Gallery. Since starting at LU I can see the growth in both my academic skills and world view. I am studying abroad Fall 2022, and I feel there is nothing out of reach. Coming from a low-income family none of this would have been possible without the constant support of our alumni through the Lawrence Fund, you are what makes Lawrence great.”

—Cece Spruel