Anthony J. Azama: Making History at WashU and in the UAA
From his time as a football student-athlete at Vanderbilt University to his term at Columbia University, Anthony J. Azama was primed to take on his current role as the Washington University Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the John M. Schael Director of Athletics. “Having worn the jersey and experienced being a student-athlete at a university with strong academic rigor, I can relate to the WashU student-athletes. While walking that path, I thought about what I would focus on if I ever got the chance” he remarked. “I am always reminded of how great an opportunity it is to earn a world-class degree, compete for championships, and be prepared for postgraduate opportunities.”
Breaking Barriers
Azama made history by becoming the first Black athletic director not only at WashU, but also in the University Athletic Association, but he acknowledges that he was not initially seeking a new position. “I was very happy at Columbia (where he was the Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Operations) and in the Ivy League. (Campbell Family Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education) Peter Pilling laid out the blueprint for how to support student-athletes the right way,” commented Azama, whose wife’s family had multiple people who graduated from WashU. “I started talking to numerous people like (WashU and UAA football legend) Brandon Roberts and quickly confirmed how unbelievable and committed people are here.”
