Pomona College and Pitzer College have announced the appointment of Danielle Lynch, Ed.D., as Director of Athletics for the Pomona-Pitzer athletic program.
She begins April 1.
“I am excited to join an institution where academic excellence, athletic achievement and physical education are all essential parts of the student experience,” says Lynch, who will chair Pomona College’s Physical Education Department. “Pomona-Pitzer’s commitment to holistic development aligns deeply with my values.”
Lynch comes from Haverford College in Pennsylvania, where she served as Director of Athletics and fostered an inclusive culture where sports amplify education. At Pomona-Pitzer, Lynch will lead a dynamic program with 21 NCAA Division III varsity sports; a robust physical education curriculum; club and intramural programs; and student wellness initiatives.
Lynch brings to the role more than two decades of leadership in collegiate athletics administration, including compliance, equitable access and oversight, as well as a commitment to student-athlete welfare.
She double majored in geography and anthropology at Rutgers University, then earned a master’s in education from Bucknell University and a doctorate in lifelong learning and adult education from Pennsylvania State University.
She will report to Brent Carbajal, interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of Pomona College, with secondary reporting lines to Pomona President G. Gabrielle Starr and Pitzer President Strom C. Thacker.
“Following a comprehensive nationwide search, I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Dr. Lynch to the Pomona-Pitzer community,” Carbajal says. “Dr. Lynch brings a wealth of applicable experience and an administrative acumen that will serve our student-athletes and Athletics staff very well. She understands the important role physical education can have in a liberal arts education and has the right toolkit to realize her impressive vision.”
April Mayes, senior associate dean of Pomona College, oversaw the nationwide search, which began following the departure of Miriam Merrill in June. Mayes led a committee of faculty, staff and administrators from both colleges.
With Lynch’s appointment, the Pomona-Pitzer athletic program—home to more than 600 intercollegiate scholar-athletes and supported by dozens of coaches and staff—enters a new chapter anchored in competitive ambition, community and an inclusive vision for physical education and athletics.
“At Pitzer, we champion student-centered leadership and collaborative innovation, and Dr. Lynch embodies those values,” Thacker says. “Her commitment to access, wellness, and academic and athletic excellence will strengthen our shared program and create new opportunities where Sagehen student-athletes can flourish.”
“Student athletes at Pomona-Pitzer find community in their teams and develop the discipline to succeed in sport and in life,” Starr says. “Dr. Lynch’s dedication to inclusive community-building along with competitive excellence makes her an ideal leader for Pomona-Pitzer Athletics.”
Widely recognized for its sustained excellence, the Pomona-Pitzer athletics program has captured dozens of SCIAC championships the past 10 years. Programs such as women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, baseball and men’s tennis regularly make deep postseason runs.
Men’s cross country has won three NCAA titles since 2019, and women’s water polo is on a run of four straight USA Water Polo Division III championships. Angie Zhou ’23 captured the 2023 NCAA Division III women’s tennis singles championship, and in 2024, women’s swimming won NCAA titles in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays. Also in 2024, Alexandra Turvey ’24, a member of those winning relay teams, became the first Sagehen to be named NCAA Woman of the Year.
This competitive strength matches exceptional academic achievement.
Pomona-Pitzer student-athletes consistently post GPAs among the highest in Division III, earning annual Academic All-American honors, conference scholar-athlete awards, and top-tier NCAA graduation success rates. Such accomplishments exemplify a program that excels nationally while upholding the academic distinction of the two colleges.
A former college athlete herself, Lynch competed in the 400-meter hurdles and pentathlon while at Rutgers, an experience that ignited a lifelong passion for athletics and student development. Her coaching career began at the United States Military Academy (West Point) and continued at Bucknell, where she helped guide more than 20 school record–holders and 30 Patriot League champions.
During her eight years at Penn State Harrisburg, Lynch founded and coached a track & field and cross country program that ultimately touted six All-Americans and the school’s first national champion.
Lynch then served as associate director of athletics for compliance at Susquehanna University, a liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. There, she oversaw compliance for 22 varsity sports and served as the university’s deputy Title IX coordinator.
She joined Haverford College as Director of Athletics in 2022.
Throughout her career, Lynch has been deeply committed to student welfare, inclusive practices and building programs that foster both competitive excellence and equitable access, a commitment she is eager to bring to the Pomona-Pitzer community.
“This role offers an opportunity to support student-athletes,” Lynch says, “while also strengthening the physical education curriculum, ensuring all students and the greater campus community benefit from wellness, movement and lifelong health education.”
Brandon Johnson, senior associate director of athletics, has served as interim athletic director since the summer, ensuring Sagehen athletes continue to learn and compete at the highest level.
“I am very grateful for the leadership of Interim Director of Athletics Brandon Johnson,” Carbajal says. “His commitment and dedication to the excellence that characterizes Pomona-Pitzer Athletics is clear, and I know I echo our athletes and our athletic staff by expressing my appreciation for his continued oversight of the program until Dr. Lynch’s arrival.”