INDIANAPOLIS - The University of Alaska Anchorage's Department of Athletics has been selected to receive two NCAA Diversity in Athletics Awards -- in the categories of ?Overall Excellence in Diversity' and ?Gender Diversity' ? to be presented June 11 at the 2008 National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention in Dallas.

"It is with great pleasure that we would like to recognize and congratulate the Alaska Anchorage athletics department as one of those recognized for a Diversity in Athletics Award in the category of Overall Excellence in Diversity," Charlotte F. Westerhaus, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at the NCAA, said in a letter addressed to UAA athletic director Dr. Steve Cobb.

Using independent research conducted by the Laboratory for Diversity in Sport at Texas A&M and supported by the NCAA, the award winners are those that have achieved the highest total combined scores in the areas of diversity strategy, gender diversity of departmental employees, racial diversity of departmental employees, value and attitudinal diversity of departmental employees, graduation of African-American female and male student-athletes, and gender equity compliance.

“UAA is honored to be recognized for both gender diversity and overall excellence in diversity,” Dr. Cobb said. “It has been our policy at UAA to attempt to recruit the most talented individuals we can find in order to serve our student-athletes. This policy has led to a very strong and diverse staff.”

This marks the third year of the Diversity Awards, however it is the first time that Division II programs were up for consideration.

For complete details, please see the NCAA's story at NCAA.org.

For a complete list of winners in each category or for more information about the Texas A&M Laboratory for Diversity in Sport, visit http://lds.tamu.edu/Default.htm.