PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State Director of Athletics Pat Chun announced the addition of Shelby McKay to lead the Cougars' Student-Athlete Development efforts as the Assistant Director of Athletics.

"We are thrilled to welcome Shelby to the Coug family," said Chief Operating Officer Bryan Blair. "We had an extremely deep and talented pool of candidates, and Shelby rose to the top at each stage of our process. In our recently launched strategic plan, we set a goal to 'offer the most transformational student-athlete experience in the country'. We believe Shelby will build upon our impressive Student-Athlete Development foundation and help all of our student-athletes reach their fullest potential, at WSU and beyond!"

As WSU's Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Development, McKay will oversee a three person staff and direct all Student-Athlete Development programming, including personal, professional and leadership development, community engagement, two seminar courses and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

McKay joins Washington State Athletics after spending six years at George Washington University as the Senior Student-Athlete Development Associate. She also was responsible for the tutoring and study hall program, first year experience program, postgraduate scholarships, award nominations, and was the athletic departments lead for SAAC.

"I am excited for the opportunity to work with the incredible student-athletes at WSU," McKay said. "WSU has a rich history of student-athlete development and I am eager to continue the tradition. I look forward to joining the Cougar family under the leadership of Patrick Chun. I would like to thank Bryan Blair and the hiring committee for the opportunity."

McKay began her GW career as a graduate assistant in Campus Recreation and the Division of Student Affairs. In campus recreation, she was a facility manager and organized special events. In the Division of Student Affairs, McKay organized events in the department of Administration and Hallmark Programs. She transitioned to Educational Support Services in 2015 where she was a graduate assistant and life skills coordinator. Her experience included oversight of the mentoring program, community service initiatives, leadership academy, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and career development. In 2016, she created and implemented the current career development model for student-athletes.

McKay completed her masters in higher education administration at GW in 2015. She is currently pursuing her doctorate of education, higher education administration from George Washington University as well. Additionally, McKay was an adjunct professor in the Milken School of Public Health at GW, teaching a first year transition course she created.

A member of the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) and Women Leader's in College Sports, McKay is an alumnus of N4A Professional Development Institute (2017) and Women Leader's Institutional for Administrative Advancement (2018). She was awarded the 2018 Professional Promise award by N4A, representing Region 1.

A graduate of Elon University with a degree in Sport and Event Management, McKay held intern positions for the Atlantic Coast Conference, American Junior Golf Association, and the Elon Athletic Department.