TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

What did it mean to have UB Softball Stadium renamed Nan Harvey Stadium in your honor?
The significance of having the university's softball venue forever named Nan Harvey Stadium still hasn't settled in with me. I drive past the field every morning and just beam at the thought that the field bears my name. I am so honored to now be eternally part of the UB campus.

You recently promised $200,000 to the UB athletics program. What were some of the reasons you chose to pledge money towards the program?
I have had the tremendous good fortune to have the University at Buffalo be a part of my life on a daily basis for the past 29 years. I received my undergraduate and graduate degrees from UB and got my first opportunity to coach at the collegiate level when I was hired as the head softball coach on a part-time basis back in the early 80s. I feel so lucky and thankful for all the professional and personal experiences UB has enabled me to have. The university has enriched my life on a daily basis.

I am forever indebted to the coaches and professors who taught me, the administrators who guided me, and the peers and the students who supported me. To me, these people are the University at Buffalo and my gift represents my eternal gratitude to them and my contribution to ensuring that others who come after me may have the same wonderful experience that I have enjoyed at this outstanding institution. I hope that when people drive by Nan Harvey Field, they won't think of Nan Harvey ­ rather they will think of the renaming of the field is a tribute and a thank you to all of the individuals at UB who changed my life.

How did you become a softball umpire, and what types of umpiring are you still doing now?
By 1972 standards, I was an extremely talented softball player. I had the good fortune to be invited to play on an Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Major Softball Fastpitch team at the age of 16. The team was made up a few college students and extremely athletic physical education teachers from all over Western New York. Many had relocated to Buffalo and took teaching jobs here to be part of the team. The name of the team was the Buffalo Breskis and later changed to the Buffalo Sunbirds. My life revolved around my playing schedule, which involved a lot of travel. There was a man named George Smith who was starting his own umpiring group and invited many of the players on my team to become umpires as a part time job. He promised to assign us games around our playing and practice schedule.

I have done a great deal of adult, high school and college softball umpiring. Due to my health situation and the time demands of my position as an administrator in athletics, I limit myself to between five and 10 high school games and between five and 10 college games each spring.

How do your experiences as not only an umpire, but also a former college athlete and coach help you in your current administrative position?
I believe that umpiring has played a significant role in helping me develop self-confidence in my personality. When taken seriously, officiating any sport requires a great deal of studying of the rules of the game. When you have truly prepared to be sharp and ready to handle any situation, you know that you are ready to face any challenge you encounter. The same holds true in every aspect of life. If you really want to be an authority or an expert, you must do your homework. It's very easy to tell when someone is bluffing their way through something. In a game setting, an unprepared official will get eaten alive.

What influenced your decision to step into your current position of Senior Woman Administrator/Associate Athletics Director at UB?
It is the best job in the world. I am an athletic administrator at my alma mater in my hometown. When offered the position, I was blown away by the opportunity. I didn't have to think about it for even a minute. I knew I always wanted UB athletics in my life and I have been put in a position to contribute to policy and decision-making. I really view my job as one that enables the coaches to go out to the court, field, or pool and do their job.

What types of duties do you have in your position?
My duties include serving as the sport supervisor of 15 of the university's 20 intercollegiate varsity sports as well as the supervisor for the Strength and Conditioning staff in Alumni Arena. In my role as the Senior Woman Administrator, I represent the highest-ranking female employed by the university working in athletics. My responsibility is to represent the interests of our female student-athletes and coaches at the campus, conference and NCAA levels. The Senior Woman Administrator position is mandated by the NCAA.

How much of an exchange do you have with various head coaches on a day-to-day basis?
I see my head coaches frequently, but not everyday. I'd never get anything done if I met with each of them on a daily basis. My door is always open to them and I make it a routine to visit practices and observe from time to time, partly because I enjoy watching our student-athletes and also to determine that my coaches have the resources they need to be successful.

Since the announcement that former Athletics Director Bob Arkeilpane was leaving, has anything changed in the department as a whole?
It saddens me that Bob Arkeilpane left our program. I felt that we had a special relationship and shared a mission to guide UB athletics. Bob was a great director. One of the reasons I feel that way was because he prepared us and expected us to do our jobs independently of his day-to-day management. For those of us remaining from Bob's Directors Staff, it has been business as usual. Bill Maher was up to speed and had firsthand knowledge of all the issues dealt with at the Athletics Director's level. So his ability to handle the role of Athletics Director is a no-brainer. Bill is professionally ready to be an Athletics Director ­ my hope is it will be permanently here at UB.

How essential is it, in your opinion, for Title IX to remain in existence?
Sadly, in my opinion, Title IX needs to remain in existence forever. The absence of a law ensuring equality for women in athletics would result in reactionary results and opportunities for women would slowly decrease and disappear. The absence of the law would require university and athletic administrators to do the morally right thing. I'm not willing to trust the moral judgment of big-time athletic administrators when it comes to finances and resources.

I believe it is equally important that the current female student-athletes are well educated on the history of Title IX, as well as the history of women's sports. They will never fully appreciate or value the opportunities now available for women without this knowledge. They will also never fully appreciate the need to protect these opportunities.

What is your view of Annika Sorenstam's recent competition on the PGA Tour?
I was thrilled that Annika was given a sponsor's exemption to play in a PGA tournament that consisted of the best golfers in the world. She obviously belongs in that company and was brave to withstand the media scrutiny and naysayers ­ truly a pioneering effort. The real benefit realized is the attention that she can bring to the sport of women's golf in general. Not only did she impress some male golf fans, I believe she may have inspired some female spectators to take an interest in the game. I'm sure there are some wives out there that watch men's golf on television with their husbands who saw Annika play and might now have an interest in playing too. I was extremely disappointed that she didn't make the cut, because I would have loved for her to get even more media exposure in the Saturday and Sunday rounds. I was also particularly impressed by professionalism and graciousness of her playing partners.

-The '10 Questions with' feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.