Pomona-Pitzer welcomes Dr. Danielle Lynch as new athletics director

On April 1, the new Pomona-Pitzer athletic director, Dr. Danielle Lynch, officially left her previous position at Haverford College to join the Hen’s nest. Pomona and Pitzer College initially announced her appointment last December, following a comprehensive national search led by both administrators and students alike.

Lynch brings over 20 years of administrative experience in Division III athletics, which impressed Brent Carbajal, interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of Pomona. 

“We were looking for many things, among them a leader who understands the role that intercollegiate athletics can play in a liberal arts education, someone with both leadership acumen as well as the communication skills to advance the visibility of Athletics on campus,” Carbajal wrote in email correspondence to TSL. 

Student participants in the hiring search — like Zaina Sayeed PO ’28, a member of the women’s lacrosse team — found Lynch’s impressive performance at Haverford exciting for the future of P-P athletics.

“We [student-selectors] saw the resume of each candidate, and then had a chance for a twenty-minute Q&A to get to know each candidate,” Sayeed said. “Coming from the East Coast, I know Haverford is a great program, so I hope those skills can translate here.” 

Lynch’s road to P-P was marked by a variety of experiences in the field of athletics. She started as a hurdler at Rutgers, entered athletic administration at West Point and then moved to Susquehanna University.  

“[At Susquehanna], I served as Associate AD, where I wore a lot of hats — compliance, Title IX, fundraising, game day management and impact programming,” Lynch wrote in email correspondence to TSL. “That breadth of experience really prepared me for the next step, which was becoming Director of Athletics at Haverford College.”

Drawing on what she has learned from past roles, Lynch hopes to build on P-P’s history as one of the leading DIII programs on the West Coast. As she settles into her new role, Lynch said she will prioritize introducing herself to the 5C community.

“Getting to know people is my number one priority,” Lynch wrote. “I’ve been spending my first weeks meeting with coaches, student-athletes, staff and campus partners — listening more than talking. You can’t lead well without understanding the community you’re leading.”

Students such as Sayeed hope the new leadership maintains the active role in the community demonstrated by former athletics director, Dr. Miriam Merrill. 

“I hope she can bring the same spirit Dr. Merrill brought in terms of competitiveness and passion,” Sayeed said. “I really appreciate seeing that fierce competitive spirit in my athletics director. A good athletic director should show up for their student athletes.”

This spirit is exactly what Lynch hopes to show in her first impressions at P-P. She looks to take up an active role for both athletes and the student body as a whole.

Beyond her presence at athletic events and as a friendly face around campus, Lynch stressed her role as an advocate for her student-athletes. Lynch’s doctoral dissertation focused on the lived experiences of Black male professional athletes during social movements from 2013 to 2023, bringing an academic lens to her work with students. 

“My research has shaped me as much as any job. That work changed how I see my role — I’m not just here to manage programs, I’m here to advocate for people,” Lynch wrote.

Although her title as athletic director may remain the same at Haverford and P-P, the transition marks a new opportunity to lead one of the country’s leading academic and athletic programs. 

“The energy here is infectious. These are remarkable young people who have chosen to do something incredibly hard — compete at a high level while pursuing world-class academics,” Lynch’s statement read. “Getting to support that journey, to be even a small part of what they accomplish here, is a privilege I don’t take lightly.”