The NCAA is committed to making policy decisions based on quality research data. The NCAA research staff conducts national research for its members on a wide variety of topics including academic performance, student-athlete well-being, finances of intercollegiate athletics programs, gender-equity and diversity issues and many others.

Research Staff

Lydia Bell
Managing Director of Research

Lydia Bell is Managing Director of Research at the NCAA. In this role, Lydia develops and oversees research projects on the academic and social experiences of student-athletes and works directly with NCAA staff, NCAA membership and other relevant parties to apply research findings to inform policymaking. She also manages the department’s portfolio of external collaborations, including oversight of the Innovations in Research and Practice Grant Program and the Graduate Student Research Grant Program. Prior to joining the NCAA, Lydia was an assistant professor of practice in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona. She has also held roles in academic advising and student affairs at Pima Community College and Bowdoin College. Lydia received her Ph.D. in Language, Reading and Culture and M.A. in Higher Education from the University of Arizona, and an A.B. in Government & Legal Studies and Sociology from Bowdoin College.

Tom Paskus
Managing Director of Research

Tom Paskus is the Managing Director of Research for the NCAA. In this role, Tom oversees all aspects of the NCAA’s research department including study design, data collection/management, research science, metric development, research communications, policy applications of research and the NCAA library/archives. Tom has been involved extensively in NCAA efforts to understand the academic, athletic, social and personal well-being of current and former student-athletes and inform national policy discussions on these topics. Prior to joining the NCAA, Tom was a faculty member in the Quantitative Research Methods Program in the College of Education at the University of Denver. Tom received his Ph.D. and M.A. in quantitative psychology from the University of Virginia, and an A.B. in psychology from Dartmouth College.

Keke Liu
Director of Research for Data Management

Keke Liu is the Director of Research for Data Management at the NCAA. In this role, she oversees policies, practices and procedures that manage the full life-cycle of NCAA research data related to academics, finances, student-athlete well-being, sport sponsorship and participation. She conducts academic-data analyses as directed by the Principal Research Scientist and uses data-visualization tools to create informative and engaging infographics. She also serves as the data architect for the NCAA Institutional Performance Program. Keke received her Ph.D. in Education Policy and Leadership from the Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Originally from China, Keke also holds a Master’s Degree in Economics of Education and a B.A. in Economics from Beijing Normal University. Prior to joining the NCAA, Keke worked as a research consultant, conducting quantitative analysis on K-12 education policy issues, with a focus on school and educator evaluation.

Kelsey Gurganus-Wright (she/her/hers)
Associate Director of Research on Student-Athlete Well-Being and Experiences

Kelsey Gurganus-Wright is the Associate Director of Research on Student-Athlete Well-Being and Experiences. Her primary responsibilities include the design, administration, and analyses of large-scale student-athlete surveys such as Health and Wellness, GOALS, and Social Environments, as well as supporting the NCAA broadly on research initiatives examining student-athlete well-being with special focus on equity and inclusion. Prior to joining the NCAA, Kelsey served in epidemiology, research and evaluation capacities for nearly a decade at the Domestic Violence Network, Indiana Department of Health and Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. She received her M.P.H. in Epidemiology from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (2011) and her B.S. in Biology from Youngstown State University (2009). Kelsey was an NCAA Division I women’s basketball student-athlete at Youngstown State University (2006-09) and the University of Southern Mississippi (2004-06).

Paige Kadish
Associate Director of Library and Research: NCAA Library and Archives, NCAA History, Championships History Requests

Paige is the Associate Director of Library and Research for the NCAA. She provides support for the research department, the national office staff, membership, media and the public. She manages various digitization projects as well as assists with the circulation of library materials, collection development, and overall management and operations of the NCAA library and archives. Paige received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Indiana University in 2013 and her Master’s degree in Library Science from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in 2016.

Lee Rathbun
Associate Director of Research for Data Management

Lee Rathbun is the Associate Director of Research for Data Management. He oversees the maintenance of large-scale data collections while managing the organization’s longitudinal data system to enhance research insights. In collaboration with stakeholders, Lee also conducts appropriate analyses and reports on various academic metrics such as degree progress, retention, and graduation rates. Additionally, he provides support for NCAA data visualizations and storytelling. Prior to joining the NCAA, Lee worked in institutional research at El Paso Community College and was a data analyst for the State of Indiana Commission for Higher Education. He holds two Master’s from Binghamton University (2017) and the University of North Texas (2014) and received his B.A in Political Science from Kansas State University (2012).

Mariah Murdock
Assistant Director of Research

Mariah Murdock is an Assistant Director of Research at the NCAA. She oversees NCAA national office survey requests and results reporting, serves as the primary representative for Division II research needs, manages the NCAA Research Review Board and is the research liaison to the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association. Prior to joining the NCAA, Mariah was a graduate assistant in the Department of Psychological Science and an intern at the Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support at Ball State University. She received her M.A. in Clinical Psychology with a certificate in Institutional Research from Ball State University (2024) and her B.A. in Psychology from Indiana University (2022).

Sara Clark
Coordinator of Research Communications

Sara Clark is the Coordinator of Research Communications for the NCAA, where she coordinates the development and dissemination of research products designed to inform and engage both public and membership audiences. Her work includes managing the research department's digital presence across the website, social media, and other platforms to enhance visibility and accessibility of key data insights. Sara holds an M.S. in Strategic Communication and Public Relations and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Statistics from Purdue University.

Sadie Martinez
Coordinator of Research

Sadie joined the research staff in March 2020. She provides assistance for Keke Liu and Sara Clark. She provides support to the membership for graduation success rate reporting and sports sponsorship and demographics reporting. Sadie earned her bachelor’s degree in history from Ball State University where she was also a former NCAA Division I softball student-athlete.

Brenna Oakey
Research Assistant

Brenna provides general research support by helping design surveys, gather data, and visualize data. She also takes a primary role in responding to information requests, research grant management, and budgeting. Brenna earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Adams State University (2020) where she played NCAA Division II soccer. 

Nan Thomas
Research Assistant: Internal/External Surveys, Online Survey Systems, Survey Management Team

Nan Thomas provides research assistance to various constituencies primarily, including post-championship surveys, championships rules surveys, program and experience surveys in the area of leadership development, and other surveys as requested. As a member of the Survey Management Team, Nan also provides research assistance to departments throughout the national office on both internal and external issues. Nan previously worked for the IU School of Medicine in the Adolescent Medicine division as part of their research development team. She received her Applied Associates Degree in Computer Information Systems with a concentration in database management from Ivy Tech Community College in 2013.

Betty Reagan
Administrative Assistant: Assistant to Paige Kadish

Betty provides administrative support for Paige Kadish in the library. She also provides library research for the NCAA staff, the NCAA membership and the public. She provides support to others in the research department whenever a need is presented. She previously served on the ACT committee for several years, as well as the Green Team and the Social Committee.