Penn State Announces Hiring of Athletics Integrity Officer

Penn State announced the hiring of Julie Del Giorno as the university’s athletics integrity officer, who will work part-time starting in March with a full-time position beginning in April. 

Del Giorno currently serves as chief of staff at Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pa. As athletic integrity officer, which is a brand new position, Del Giorno will be responsible for the “development, implementation and oversight of policies and practices within the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics that ensure compliance and ethical conduct,” according to Penn State Live. 

“Julie is an outstanding choice for this position,” said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. “As she begins her work here at Penn State, she will draw on more than two decades of experience in higher education and the U.S. military. Her track record of success in athletics oversight and operations, student affairs, logistics and institutional planning has given her valuable experience that will serve the University well.”

Del Giorno’s position was created as part of the Penn State’s entering into an Athletics Integrity Agreement with the NCAA and The Big Ten. The athletic integrity officer is an addition to the compliance officer already working within the athletic department, Penn State said.

Del Giorno will oversee compliance with obligations of integrity, civility, ethics and institutional control. The position is expected to report to the university-wide chief compliance officer, a position Penn State officials are in the process of fulfilling.

Del Giorno began her role in 2006 as the senior administrator with athletic oversight for the Moravian College NCAA Division III Intercollegiate Athletics program and served as the college’s chief of staff, with responsibilities for implementing administrative initiatives across the organization, as liaison to the Board of Trustees and served as the college’s Title IX coordinator, among other duties, Penn State said. 

“I am honored and humbled to be selected to serve as the first ever athletics integrity officer at Penn State,” Del Giorno said. “I will commit myself fully to the position and will work diligently to ensure that policies, procedures and practices are developed and implemented that will ensure Penn State’s compliance with the requirements set forth in the Athletics Integrity Agreement. I look forward to working in partnership with members of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, to include student-athletes, and with members of the faculty and staff on this critical work.”

Read more about Del Giorno on Penn State Live.