BANNER ELK, N.C. – Dean of Business and Management and Program Coordinator for Sport Management
Josh Pate has been appointed the Faculty Athletic Representative at Lees-McRae. Pate joined the Lees-McRae community in July 2022 after serving as an Associate Professor at James Madison University.
"We are grateful to Dr. Pate for agreeing to extend his excellent leadership and advisory capabilities to more students through the role of Faculty Athletic Representative," President Lee King said. "His expertise as a sport management professional makes him uniquely qualified to guide our student-athletes."
The Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) is a faculty member at an NCAA member institution who has been designated by the institution to serve as a liaison between the institution and the athletics department, and as a representative of the institution in Conference Carolinas and NCAA affairs. The role of the FAR is to ensure that the academic institution establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics.
"I'm honored to work alongside our student-athletes and support them in their academic and athletic goals," Pate said. "I want to focus on the well-being and professional growth of our student-athletes as they pursue their academic degrees. There's a unique balance that student-athletes manage between their athletic and academic pursuits. I hope to help them navigate those challenges with success."
Since 2022, Pate has served as a Professor and Program Coordinator for the Sport Management major and was elevated to Dean of Business and Management in 2023.
Pate was recently awarded the 2025 Joy DeSensi Diversity Award for Inclusive Excellence by the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). NASSM is the premier professional society for the sport management field, and their mission is to "promote, stimulate, and encourage" research study, writing, and professional development within the field. Read more on the honor by clicking
here.
Pate's research is in disability, access, and inclusion through a sport lens and he has published more than 30 research manuscripts and book chapters. He has also delivered more than 70 research presentations at national or international conferences.
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