Amanda Ekabutr

Amanda Ekabutr

Assistant Director, Huddle Up

Amanda Ekabutr comes to the Institute from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass), where she served as the Director of Student-Athlete Development and Athletics Department Diversity and Inclusion Officer since 2019. Ekabutr transformed the student-athlete development unit, creating a vast number of experiential learning opportunities for UMass student-athletes as well as collaborative programming initiatives across the department. She co-advised the student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC) and supervised all student-athlete affinity groups. Ekabutr also led the 2020-2021 UMass athletics racial and social justice plan that included leading the first regional Northeast Black Student-Athlete Summit in collaboration with the New England Patriots and New England Revolution. Amanda also served on the executive committee for the Atlantic 10 Conference’s commission on racial equity, diversity, and inclusion and was a member of the LEAD1 Association’s working group on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Ekabutr arrived to Amherst following a tenure at Oregon State University with the Beavers’ Student-Athlete Development Office. While at Oregon State, Ekabutr provided oversight for a number of initiatives geared toward the growth and maturation of OSU student-athletes, including Real Talk, Beavs BeTRUE and Women LEAD.

While holding her role within the Student-Athlete Development Office at Oregon State, Ekabutr also served as an intern with the Varsity OSU staff and was tasked with the enhancement of relationships among alumni, current student-athletes and current and former coaches and administrators.

Ekabutr graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise and Wellness in December 2014, and later earned her Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in College Student Services Administration, Education and Ethnic Studies from Oregon State in June 2019.

Rachael Denhollander, A Hero Among Us

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