Ithaca College announced that Aaron Bouyea has been hired as the next director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation.
The announcement was made by Stanley Bazile, vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Life, on May 27. The college began searching for a new director when Susan Bassett ’79 announced in February that she planned to retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. Bassett had been director of the program since 2013.
“His dynamic leadership, visionary spirit, and deep understanding of the student-athlete experience embody exactly what this moment in our college’s journey requires,” Bazile said in the announcement.
Bouyea served as director of Athletics at Monroe Community College in Rochester from 2017 to 2025. Under Bouyea’s leadership, Monroe grew its athletic facilities and student athlete resources. He led Monroe’s athletic department to earn the National Junior College Athletic Association Region III Community Service Award during the 2023-24 academic year.
President La Jerne Cornish said in the announcement that the college is excited for Bouyea’s strong commitment to academic and athletic excellence.
“Monroe Community College has a lengthy history of national success in athletics, with a well-rounded program that puts the character of its student-athletes and coaches at the top of its list of priorities,” Cornish said in the announcement. “Aaron has been a big part of that success over the past eight years.”
Before his time at Monroe, Bouyea worked as associate athletic director at Lesley University from 2012 to 2017, where he prioritized maintaining strong student athlete GPAs. He also worked as the assistant athletics director and advancement associate and assistant softball coach at Wells College from 2008 to 2012.
Bouyea graduated from Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management and later received his masters from SUNY Cortland in 2011. He is currently enrolled at the University of the Cumberlands for a Doctor of Education, which he is currently on track to complete in 2027.
“It’s a true privilege to join the Ithaca family and begin this exciting new chapter on South Hill,” Bouyea said in the announcement. “I have deep respect for the remarkable foundation Susan Bassett has laid—her leadership and commitment to excellence have left an enduring mark. I’m eager to build on that legacy, champion our student-athletes, elevate our programs, and help lead one of the nation’s premier Division III athletics departments into the future.”
