Rochester, Mich. (Sept. 7, 2006) ???C Holly Kerstner has joined the Oakland University athletic department staff as the Assistant Athletic Director for Student Athlete Services, a position recently created to help student-athletes succeed in the classroom as well as in competition. Kerstner will also serve as the department???s Senior Women???s Administrator. ???I am excited to come to Oakland,??? Kerstner said. ???The administration in the athletic department and on campus is very open minded and committed to the well-being of the student-athletes. Their plans for the future will enable them to continue their tradition of success.??? Kerstner will oversee the Grizzly Center for Graduates and Champions, the new academic center for student-athletes which will provide tutorial support and other resources to assist them in the classroom. She will also serve as the administrator of the Grizzly tennis, volleyball and softball teams. Additionally, Kerstner will oversee the Lifeskills program which aids student-athletes in making the transition between university life and post-graduation responsibilities. In her capacity as SWA, Kerstner will ensure gender equity within the athletic department and deal with Title IX issues that may arise. ???She???s everything we were looking for,??? Senior Associate AD Tracy Huth said of Kerstner. ???Her experience with the operations of a student-athlete academic center, her counseling experience and her overall knowledge of student-athlete services provides us with expertise that we haven???t had in the past. ???To have someone concentrate specifically in student-athlete services will benefit the department and especially the student-athletes.??? Prior to joining the Grizzy staff Kerstner served a four-year stint at Radford University as the Director of Student-Athlete Support Services. She oversaw all academic services, including the tutorial center and advising. Kerstner was also the Student Athlete Advisory Committee advisor at Radford. Kerstner spent four years at the University of Detroit as the Director of Advising and Academic Services before moving along to Radford. Her duties included admitting, advising and counseling student-athletes, as well as conditionally admitting students and overseeing the learning center. Kerstner graduated from Concordia University in Wisconsin in 1995, earning a bachelor???s degree in social work as well as a bachelor of art. She earned a Masters in student personnel administration with an emphasis in counseling from Concordia in 1999. While at Concordia Kerstner served as a resident director and an alcohol and drug educator.