Eric was named director of University Recreation at NC State in November 2011 and assumed the responsibility of the institution's recreation and fitness programs, services and facilities designed for 35,000 students and 10,000 faculty, staff and affiliates. In October 2017, Eric was promoted to executive director of NC State Wellness and Recreation. He leads a team of 32 professionals and approximately 650 student employees with an annual operating budget of more than $6.3 million.

Hawkes and his team have transformed NC State's wellness, recreation and fitness programs and facilities into one of the nation's finest. Working in partnership with student leaders, Eric and the Wellness and Recreation team secured funding and executed several significant facility enhancement projects including the $45 million Wellness and Recreation Center project currently under construction expected to open Fall 2020. In 2014, NC State charged Eric and his team to lead campus wellness (health promotion) efforts. These efforts have made a significant impact on-campus leading to a department name change in July 2018 to better accurately describe the role of the unit and its value and impact on student success.

For more than 20 years, Hawkes has been actively involved in numerous professional development associations including NIRSA, Athletic Business, Campus Rec Magazine, Partnership for a Healthier America and Building Healthy Academic Communities through participation in institutes, workshops, and presentations at national, regional, and state conferences. Eric served on the NIRSA National Services Corporation Board of Directors from 2015-18 where his direction guided marketing opportunities for recreation centers and outdoor venues. In 2011, Eric received the NIRSA Region II Award of Merit which recognizes exceptional performance, dedication, creativity and innovation within the profession.

Prior to NC State, Hawkes was the director of Campus Recreation at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) where he cultivated a high achieving team of professionals and students dedicated to excellence. Under Hawkes' leadership, FAU developed and implemented a recreation master plan which included the Recreation and Fitness Center and opened in January 2009. The $18.6 million facility was recognized as a 2011 NIRSA Outstanding Facility of Merit Award winner.

Prior to FAU, Hawkes held several positions at the University of Missouri (Mizzou), which included serving as a member of the design team for the $50 million MizzouRec facility.

Eric received a bachelor's degree in recreation and a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Florida.

Hawkes and his wife, Nichole have two children, Hayden and Parker.

Dr. Shannon DuPree joined the Wolfpack in July of 2016 as the university wellness specialist. In March 2018 she was promoted to director of wellness. In this role, Shannon provides strategic leadership for an innovative, integrated and collaborative wellness model for the NC State University community.

A native North Carolinian, Shannon has spent the past 10 years planning, implementing and evaluating wellness programs, interventions and policies in North Carolina at the local and state level. Prior to NC State, she held positions with Greene County Health Department, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services – Division of Public Health and North Carolina Central University. Her roles in local and state government provided an opportunity for her to gain extensive experience in grant writing, community organizing, advocacy, and strategic planning. Shannon is a contributing author to the 2014-2020 North Carolina Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan and Healthy North Carolina 2020.

Shannon has a bachelor's degree in public health education from North Carolina Central University, a master's degree in public administration from Strayer University, and doctorate in health science from Nova Southeastern University. She is a certified health education specialist by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc, a certified wellness practitioner by the National Wellness Institute and certified wellness coach by WellCoaches.

Distinctions

• Chancellor's Creating Communities Award Nominee (2018)
• Pride of the Wolfpack Award (2017)
• Responsible Employee

Mary received her bachelor's degree in business management and master's degree in parks, recreation tourism Management from NC State University. Mary began working as a professional with Wellness and Recreation in Fall 2006. In Fall 2018, Mary became an associate director with Wellness and Recreation.

Mary has served on multiple work teams and committees at NC State and within NIRSA, serving as the host chair for the 2006 and 2010 NoCRSA State Workshops, host chair for the 2012 NIRSA Region 2 conference, chair of the 2015-16 NIRSA Student and Professional Development work team and leading and advising the NIRSA National Basketball Championships for eight years while hosted at NC State.

In 2011, Mary received the University Award for Excellence for her passion and contributions in student development and Pride of the Wolfpack Award in 2007 and 2017.

Mary and her husband, Kyle have one son Ryder and a yellow lab Caicos.

Distinctions

• DASA Onboarding Implementation Team
• Green Zone Ally
• Project SAFE Ally
• QPR Suicide Prevention Trained
• Responsible Employee

Catherine joined the Wolfpack in June 2017 as the coordinator, aquatics for Wellness and Recreation. Catherine grew up in New Jersey where she attended Montclair State University and received her B.S. in business administration with a concentration in marketing and management and a minor in communication (2015). While at Texas A&M University - Commerce, Catherine was the graduate assistant of aquatics and risk management for the Department of Campus Recreation while also completing a M.S. in health, kinesiology and sport studies with a concentration in sport and recreation management (2017). Catherine loves to go on any type of water adventure, but her favorite adventure is to go stand-up paddleboarding with her dogs.

Distinctions

• Project Safe
• GLBT Advocate
• Responsible Employee
• Green Zone Training
• QPR Suicide Prevention Training
• Equal Opportunity Institute Graduate

Edna earned her B.S. from NC State in business administration with HR concentration. While completing her education, she worked as a community assistant coordinator in housing and for facilities. Edna returned as a full-time professional in 2002 as business manager for Wellness and Recreation.

Distinctions

• Active Shooter Response Trained
• Affirmative Action Officer
• Equal Opportunity Institute Graduate
• Harassment Prevention Response
• Hazard Communication
• QPR Suicide Prevention Trained
• Responsible Employee
• Workplace Violence Prevention

Lindsay joined the Wolfpack in June 2021 as the assistant director, fitness for Wellness and Recreation. Before NC State, Lindsay worked for the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Florida Atlantic University. Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, she received her B.A. in health and fitness from Purdue University and her M.S. in kinesiology from Indiana University.

An avid sports fan, she enjoys traveling and staying active with her husband Kyle and dog Mackey.

Madison joined the Wolfpack in December 2021. Prior to NC State Madison worked at Illinois State University as the coordinator of fitness, where she also earned her M.S. in exercise physiology. Originally from Texas, she received her B.S. in applied exercise science from Sam Houston State University.

Madison enjoys being active outdoors, all things coffee and time with her Australian Shepard, Tucker.

Tanna joined the Wolfpack in February 2021 with Wellness and Recreation. Before NC State, Tanna graduated from Iowa State University with her M.S. in Kinesiology and B.S. in Kinesiology and Health. Tanna has eight years of professional fitness experience in private fitness studios, gym management, and campus recreation, including serving as the graduate assistant for Fitness Programs at Iowa State University.

Tanna enjoys being active, and spending time with family - including her rescue dog Leo.

Ben holds bachelor's degrees in sports management and journalism at Ohio University and a master's degree in sport management at the University of Florida. Before joining NC State University in June 2014, Ben served as a competitive sports graduate assistant at the University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports.

Distinctions

• Staff Senator 2017-19
• QPR Suicide Prevention Trained
• Responsible Employee

Quintin rejoined the Wolfpack in the Fall of 2021. Before recently returning to NC State, Quintin worked in collegiate recreation at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) as the sport programs coordinator. He previously worked in numerous sports programs positions in collegiate recreation at NC State, UNC and North Carolina Central universities. He has extensive experience with intramural sports, club sports and facilities management. He is also a North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) Basketball Official and has been since 2015.

Quintin earned both his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management (2016) and Master's degree in parks, recreation, tourism, and sport management from NC State University (2019).

Quintin and his wife Tatiana currently live in Raleigh, NC, with their dog Nike. He enjoys playing a variety of sports, cooking and traveling with his wife.

Grayson joined the Wolfpack in the Fall of 2021. He comes to NC State holding a bachelor's degree in business administration and accounting from Florida Southern College. While at Florida Southern, Grayson worked various positions in the Wellness and Recreation department, serving as the sport and youth programs graduate assistant at East Carolina University, graduating in May of 2020 with a master's degree in recreation services and interventions. While at East Carolina (ECU), Grayson served as a North Carolina State student leader and worked on various committees with NIRSA.

After graduating from ECU, Grayson worked as the Coordinator of Campus Recreation and Intramural Programs at Newberry College. During this time, he also served as the NIRSA State Representative for South Carolina.

Katie received her bachelor's degree in recreation, parks, and leisure services administration from Central Michigan University in 2012, and her master’s degree in public administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2014. Katie began working in campus recreation at Illinois State University in 2014 in facilities management, before transitioning to her role as the marketing coordinator at the University of Iowa in 2019. Katie joined the NC State Wellness and Recreation team in May 2022.

Katie and her husband, Chuck, are proud fur parents to a calico kitten named Cleo and a golden retriever named Breeze.