Peter Roby
Diversity and the Appreciation of Difference in 21st Century Leadership
February 5, 2009 at 9:30 AM at Brooks-Rodgers Auditorium
Peter Roby was named Northeastern’s ninth Athletics Director on June 21, 2007. Roby, former head basketball coach at Harvard University, marketing vice president at Reebok, and since 2002, Director of Northeastern’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society, brings broad experience in unique perspective to his new position.
Roby oversees Northeastern’s 19-sport, Division I Athletics Department, which competes in the highly-competitive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), Hockey East Association and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). In addition, Roby oversees Northeastern Campus Recreation, which offers over 40 club sports, intramural sports and physical education opportunities for Northeastern students.
Roby served as Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Welfare during the 2005-06 season, in addition to his duties at the Center for the Study of Sport in Society. As head of the Center, Roby was a forceful national leader, championing the role sports can play in bringing about positive social change through research, education and advocacy. He has also been outspoken in decrying the use of performance-enhancing drugs, competitive pressures placed on children, permissive attitudes toward professional athletes and a number of other sports-related issues.
Roby has been referenced extensively in print, television and radio media all over the world and his opinion pieces have been published on the editorial pages of the Boston Globe, the Indianapolis Star, the Dallas Morning News and the Oregonian.
In October of 2007, Roby was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America by the Institute of International Sport. The criteria for selection was the effective use of sport as a means to educate.
Prior to assuming his post at Sport in Society, Roby was the vice president of U.S. Marketing at Reebok. During his tenure with Reebok he held two other positions, as the director of Key Account Marketing and the director of U.S. Sports Marketing. He was responsible for the development and execution of marketing plans in the United States. He also oversaw strategic planning, grass roots marketing, and sponsorships.
Leading up to his time at Reebok, Roby had fulfilling career as a college basketball coach. He served six seasons as head basketball coach for Harvard University and three years as Harvard’s assistant basketball coach. Before joining Harvard, Roby was the assistant coach at Stanford University, Dartmouth College and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Roby is a 1979 graduate of Dartmouth College where he was co-captain of the basketball team and earned a bachelor’s degree in Government. A native of New Britain, Conn., Roby lives with his wife, Sandra, and children, Kayla, Peter, and Jon Paul, in Newton, Mass.
Post-presentation forum on Peter Roby
February 5, 2009 at 11:00 AM at Brooks-Rogers Auditorium
Host: Donald Brooks, Assistant Professor of Physical Education, Assistant Football and Assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach
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