A man with 30-plus years of experience in higher education and athletics administration, Dr. Ron Zwierlein was appointed St. Bonaventure University's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics on Feb. 1, 2004.

Originally a student-athlete and then a highly successful coach, Zwierlein's focus is on the student-athlete, with the emphasis on student.

"I want to focus on the academic success as well as the athletic success of our students," he said, adding that he hopes to help "produce solid citizens with good core values - good Franciscan values - able to take their place in society, ready for the challenges that lie in front of them as they confront the game of life."

Zwierlein oversees all aspects of St. Bonaventure's 14 intercollegiate sports teams. Some of his accomplishments since joining St. Bonaventure include the successful completion of the NCAA Division I certification process in the winter and spring of 2004-05, and the awarding of a CHAMPS/Life Skills program to St. Bonaventure from the NCAA in the fall of 2004. St. Bonaventure's student-athletes continue to post impressive academic achievements during Zwierlein's tenure. In the 2004-05 academic year, the 14 intercollegiate teams posted a combined grade point average (GPA) of 3.05. Seventy out of 204 student-athletes earned Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll status in the spring 2005 semester after earning at least a 3.5 GPA for the semester. Under Zwierlein's watch, St. Bonaventure's baseball team won the 2004 Atlantic 10 Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

Zwierlein came to St. Bonaventure from his alma mater, Bowling Green State University, where he served in numerous roles, including Director of Athletics, over 24 years there. Zwierlein was Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs from 1999-2004, responsible for a $70 million student affairs budget, including financial operations for athletics and recreational sports, as well as all departments reporting to Student Affairs. He also was involved in fund-raising efforts in conjunction with the university's advancement office, diversity, staff development and assessment, and facility construction and renovation.

He served five years as Bowling Green's Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, responsible for the coordination of 22 sports in the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Zwierlein also held other posts at Bowling Green including interim vice president for student affairs, director of recreational sports, director of the university field house, associate director of the student recreation center, and men's and women's swimming and diving coach.

Zwierlein was Director of Athletics at John Carroll University in Cleveland from 1978-81. There, he also served as swimming and diving, soccer and tennis coach, director of aquatics, assistant professor of physical education and supervisor of intramural and club sports. He has contributed to chapters in a text on athletics facilities planning, including a chapter on trends in "Planning Facilities for Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation," published by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; and "Planning Facilities for Athletes, Physical Education and Recreation," published by the Athletic Institute.

Zwierlein earned a bachelor of science degree, majoring in health and physical education and minoring in recreational sports, from Bowling Green in 1968. He later earned a master of education in health, physical education and recreation from Bowling Green. He received a doctor of philosophy degree in higher education administration with major areas of concentration in athletics, physical education and recreation from The Ohio State University in 1980.

Zwierlein and his wife, Cindy, have three children, Heidi (Zwierlein) Brown, Heather, and Chad and two grandchildren, Brooks and Quinn. Moving to St. Bonaventure also was a return to Zwierlein's roots near his native Rochester, N.Y., where his mother, Lucille, still lives and his brother, Neil, is an administrator for the Rochester City Schools Central Office and an Executive Officer for Section V Scholastic Athletics.