College Sports Information Directors of America

Associated with NCAA Division III for the vast majority of her career as a student-athlete and SID, Nairem Moran has been at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania since December of 2018. She came to Susquehanna from her alma mater, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where she served as SID for 11 years. At St. Mary’s, Nairem was a standout All-Conference dual-sport athlete in field hockey and lacrosse and in 2015 was named to the Capital Athletic Conference Silver Anniversary Women's Lacrosse Team.

Hear more from Moran about her career journey, advice for younger professionals, and more.
 

 
With the exception of an SID internship at NCAA Division I Presbyterian College and receiving your master's from South Carolina, you've spent your undergraduate and professional career in Division III athletics. You've spent almost two decades working in Division III - so, why Division III?
Division III has always been home for me. When I was looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to go somewhere where I wouldn’t get lost in the crowd and have the opportunity to continue to play the two sports that I fell in love with in high school. I understand the student-athletes at Division III. I understand what they’re dealing with having dealt with some of the same issues when I was a student-athlete. Being at Division III also allows me to get to know the student-athletes on a different level.
 
You attended the 2019 CoSIDA Convention in Orlando. What were your takeaways? Can you talk specifically about some "aha-moments" you might have had while doing this type of professional development and networking?
The 2019 CoSIDA Convention was my fourth one in the past five years (I’ve developed anxiety over flying and therefore, I drive to convention whenever possible). My biggest takeaway from any CoSIDA convention is the opportunity to learn new things, which is why I truly enjoy the educational lounge sessions. Those sessions have been a great addition and really allow you to get the most out of your time at convention.

 

You were a two-sport athletic All-Conference standout in field hockey and lacrosse at St. Mary's and congrats on being named to the Capital Athletic Conference Silver Anniversary Women's Lacrosse Team in 2015. Did those experiences in college athletics propel you, a biology major, into sports information? Did the profession find you, or did you find the profession?
Being a collegiate athlete definitely helped steer me in sports information. The profession for sure found me. I began working in the sports information office my sophomore year. It started as a way to make money but turned into something more when the SID, who was also my lacrosse coach, left at the end of my sophomore year. The next SID was also the volleyball coach and I was given a lot of responsibilities, such as hiring and scheduling students for home events, putting together the weekly sports updates, etc., when he was away with his team.

Following graduation, I worked in the equipment room while applying to both biology lab and sport information jobs. Brad Nadeau gave me a call and was willing to take a chance on me as his first-ever sports information intern at Middlebury. I took the job site unseen and moved to Vermont without a car, traveling there via Amtrak with just a duffle bag and a bike. It was a great year at Middlebury and the rest is history.

Last spring, you also attended the 2019 NCAA DIII Institute for Administrative Advancement. How did that opportunity come about and what was that experience like? What have you taken into your everyday role at Susquehanna from that Institute experience?
I was encouraged by Crystal Gibson, the Interim Director of Athletics at Susquehanna, to apply and I thought it’d be a good opportunity to help me to improve my leadership and management skills. It was a great experience and I am thankful to have the opportunity to meet and network with folks outside of the sports information profession. One of my biggest takeaways from the Institute was learning how to understand people’s different personalities and how to use that knowledge to improve working relationships with those in the athletic communications office and the athletic department in general.

 

The college athletic community is taking a serious look at diversity and inclusion today. As a long-serving ethnic minority in collegiate athletics, particularly in small-school media relations where there is a lack of diversity, what's that experience been like? What advice would you offer to those hiring managers today to ensure that they have inclusion as a top priority when building their staffs?
Overall, I’ve had a great experience in my 20 years as a sports information professional. I do wish there were more women in the profession. For the majority of my career, I have been the only female head SID in the Capital Athletic Conference and now it’s the same in the Landmark Conference. For me, I see it as an added pressure because I want to do well, especially now at a football school, so as to represent women SIDs the best way possible. Inclusion must be a priority because it allows a department to grow with the infusion of new ideas and better serve their student-athletes by offering different resources for the student-athletes to utilize.

In addition to being named to that CAC Silver Anniversary Team, are there any other accomplishments or contributions that you're particularly proud of, work-related or personal? A
One accomplishment that I’m particularly proud of is initiating and implementing St. Mary’s athletic presence on the internet, with a new website with PrestoSports, and on social media. Additionally, I’m proud of the two SAAC Service Awards I received at St. Mary’s and of the social media recognition the Susquehanna SAAC gave me the other day on Instagram in my short time there.

 

You are a new member of the Goodwill and Wellness Committee. What drew you to this committee work? Do you have civic or volunteer work that has had a big impact on you?
I used to be a member of the Academic All-America Committee but dropped off when I couldn’t devote the appropriate time to it. I wanted to find a way to be more involved with CoSIDA and I felt the Goodwill and Wellness Committee would be a good fit for me. In my former life as a co-advisor for SAAC at St. Mary’s, I really enjoyed working with students during the food and toy drives for local families.

What is your top professional development tip to share with colleagues both young and old?
To have an open mind. As the field of athletic communications continues to evolve at a fast pace, it is important to keep an eye out for that next idea that will help to better promote your school.

What have been the most memorable and/or rewarding moments of your career?
One moment would be when The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) captured the 2005 NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship in my final year at TCNJ before I headed south to begin my master’s program at South Carolina. The other would be when I worked my last St. Mary’s athletic event last December. The students surprised me at halftime with a special recognition of my 11 years there. Embarrassing as it was for me because I don’t enjoy being in the spotlight, it was great to know the students appreciated what I had done in my time at St. Mary’s.

 

 
What would be one thing that people would be surprised to know about you?
That I was an Army brat and lived for nine years outside of the USA – four years in Puerto Rico and five years in Germany. It was a bit of a culture shock for me when my dad received orders to be stationed at Fort Meade, Md. I hadn’t lived in or been to the US since we left Texas when I was a year old.
 
What do people find you doing outside your SID work in terms of interests or hobbies?
I’m a bit of a homebody so I’d probably be home hanging out with my chiweenie, Milo, watching Netflix or reading.
 
What’s the biggest career lesson that you’ve learned?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s not necessary, or healthy, to try and do it all on your own. I’m striving to be better at working smarter, not harder.