Began at Illinois:
Dr. Stephon Fuqua started at Illinois in January, 2019.
Education:
Dr. Fuqua earned a bachelor's degree in business and organizational communication from the University of Akron in 2008. In 2010, Fuqua received a master's in sport administration from Eastern Kentucky University and in 2019 earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Education from the University of Cincinnati. His dissertation involved researching school factors and legal involvement in marijuana usage among African American male adolescents.
Past Experience:
Dr. Fuqua joined the Illinois staff from Ohio State University, where he served as a Senior Athletic Academic Counselor in the Student-Athlete Support Services Office (SASSO). In his role, he oversaw the academic progress of football student-athletes and facilitated personal and professional development programming geared toward building their leadership and decision-making skills.
Prior to joining the Buckeyes, he worked as an associate director in the office of Student-Athlete Support Services at the University of Cincinnati. During his five-year tenure, he provided support to the men’s basketball and men’s and women’s golf teams and assisted them in getting the resources they needed to be academically successful.
For three years, Dr. Fuqua served as an academic advisor and worked closely with the Student-Athlete Academic Success Center at Eastern Kentucky University to ensure student-athletes were on pace to graduate. He also designed and implemented policies and procedures that encouraged and promoted student accountability and success.
Personal:
Dr. Fuqua was a member of the football and track teams at the University of Akron and was later selected as a 2009 undrafted free agent with the NFL's New Orleans Saints.
Dr. Fuqua is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A), a 2017 recipient of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) Rudy Keeling Postgraduate Scholarship and a 2018 graduate of the NCAA’s esteemed Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute.
Updated November 2020
