WASHINGTON - Dr. Brad Foltz has joined the Georgetown University Department of Athletics as its first head of athletic counseling services. The position will serve all student-athletes and is the first of its kind among the schools in the BIG EAST Conference.

According to the NCAA, the average Division I student-athlete spends nearly 80 hours a week balancing their academic and athletic commitments. This is no different at Georgetown, where the academic rigors and competitive demands are profound. The pressure created by busy schedules and performance expectations weighs heavily on Georgetown's 700+ student-athletes, who collectively average a 3.24 GPA. They are driven to excel in everything they do, and yet the very drive that brings them so much success in the classroom and in competition also exposes them to immense vulnerabilities.

In hiring Foltz, Georgetown Athletics launches its Student-Athlete Health & Wellness Initiative. This program recognizes the unique experience and needs of student-athletes and is dedicated to helping them manage the academic, emotional, and physical pressures they face.

"I'm excited to come to the Hilltop and join the Georgetown University Athletics Department. This is an outstanding opportunity to be a part of building the foundation of the Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Initiative," said Foltz. "My goal is to work with our sport medicine and athletics administration staff to build a well-rounded wellness program that helps our student-athletes succeed and grow athletically, academically and personally. As we grow and develop our program, we really hope to build a model that becomes the standard for student-athlete care in the BIG EAST."

Foltz comes to the Hilltop with an extensive counseling background and the unique experience of working in athletics. Most recently, he was the assistant director for psychological services for student-athletes at the University of Oklahoma. Foltz provided psychotherapy services to many student-athletes within the department while also providing outreach and consultation services with the athletics department coaching staffs, academic advisers and administration. Additionally, he designed and implemented Emergent Leaders programming.

Prior to his three years at Oklahoma, Foltz was employed at Indiana University as a sport psychology consultant within the department of athletics. There he provided both individual counseling services as well as team-based mental training instruction.

Foltz is a graduate of Kent State earning his Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 2006. He then went on to study at Indiana where he earned his Master's Degree in community counseling in 2009 as well as his Ph.D. in counseling psychology in 2014.

"I'm excited to welcome Dr. Foltz into the Department of Athletics and look forward to seeing the work he will do with our teams," said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed. "Dr. Foltz brings a strong athletic background and will provide a necessary function supporting the mental health of our student-athletes as they deal with all of the external pressures that surround being a Division I student-athlete. This is a landmark hire and we hope it will help transform the student-athlete experience on the Hilltop."