Meet Dr. Amy Bohnert: Loyola’s New Faculty Athletic Representative

Over the summer, Loyola Athletics named psychology professor Dr. Amy Bohnert as its new faculty athletic representative.

As FAR, Bohnert serves as a liaison between the university’s faculty and the athletic department. Her role extends beyond campus, where she is responsible for representing Loyola nationally as a delegate to the Atlantic 10 Conference and NCAA affairs, with a specific position on the A-10 Officiating Committee.

Bohnert said she was pleased to see the initial job offer in an email from the provost’s office.

“I got an email about the position and I gasped,” Bohnert said. “I was so excited. I didn’t have to read anymore, I knew I wanted to apply.”

After accepting the job, Bohnert continued to roll with the punches while trying to figure out what his new title entailed on a day-to-day basis.

“I’m going to figure out what the student-athletes, the athletic department, the faculty and the administration need, and see what that looks like with the experiences I bring,” Bohnert said. “I’m open to anything and seeing what’s right for the student-athletes here at Loyola.”

Bohnert was already familiar with the college athletic structure before she took the job. In college, she was a swimmer at the University of Michigan, where her team won three Big Ten Conference titles.

She said she believes her experience as a student-athlete gives her a better appreciation of the challenges they face.

College sports have become more complex since Bohnert took over as FAR. With the introduction of name, image and likeness rights and policies that allow athletes to change schools as many times as they want, college sports have seen a new level of autonomy for athletes.

Bohnert is eager to see how these changes will affect Loyola student-athletes. These new policies intrigue Bohnert not only as a FAR, but also as a researcher.

“For coaches and teammates, this changes the landscape of college sports,” Bohnert said. “It’s an interesting and exciting time to explore some of these new opportunities that exist. As a psychologist, I’m intrigued to learn more about the implications for coaches, teammates and the athlete.”

Despite the challenges presented by the changing landscape of college athletics, Bohnert said she is eager to take on her new role. Her first goal is to become familiar with the position and build on the support system Loyola offers student-athletes.

Loyola offers multiple levels of academic and mental health support to student-athletes, including a special UNIV 101 section for new athletes. Bohnert praised the athlete support team behind these initiatives and expressed his willingness to help in any way possible.

Outside of her role as FAR, Bohnert is an associate professor of clinical and developmental psychology. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical child psychology from Penn State University and came to Loyola in 2003 after an internship at the University of Chicago.

“I fell in love with the city, it was love at first sight,” Bohnert said. “I loved the atmosphere of the university and the emphasis on social justice and experiential learning, but I also really loved my colleagues here.”

As a researcher, Bohnert has published more than 50 papers, with her research focusing on how out-of-school experiences shape young people’s physical and psychological well-being. Her most recent project is studying how sleep affects adolescents in their daily lives.

She also leads the Activity Matters Lab, which evaluates several community-based programs aimed at improving the health and well-being of urban youth. The goal of this lab is to inform policy and provide recommendations that positively influence adolescent health.

When she’s not teaching or fulfilling her FAR responsibilities, Bohnert says she enjoys boating with her friends, running, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.