Shelly Kovacs

Shelly Kovacs is an author, consultant, and public speaker.   She has over three decades of experience in higher educational administration and fundraising.   Her areas of expertise include academic success and motivation at the high school, college, and professional levels,  student athletes, college readiness for high school students and parents,  staff  training, coaching through life transitions, students with learning disabilities and other nontraditional students.

Her book “College Knowledge for the Student Athlete”  (Schoem/Kovacs) has been widely acclaimed by former athletes, coaches, teachers, parents, and administrators and is based on her expertise working with college and high school athletes.  

Shelly’s contributions to the University of Michigan have been recognized over the years in several very special ways. In 2002 she became one of a handful of women to have received an Honorary M Letter in recognition of her contributions to student athletes.  Under her leadership, the Office of Student Services in Kinesiology received the university wide staff excellence award in 2005.  In 2007 the Shelly Kovacs Scholarship was created by alumni to honor her significant accomplishments and thirty years of service  at UM.  This  scholarship will serve as her legacy in a field and at a school where there could be no higher honor.

 Shelly received both her graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan and began her career as a college advisor in the School of Education in 1977.  She wore many hats at UM throughout her career, and often, at the same time.  In 1984, she joined the School of Kinesiology where she continued her passion advising students and eventually becoming the Director of Student Services, while taking on additional roles in development and becoming Kinesiology’s first Director of Major Gifts and also its first Director of Alumni Relations.  She remains actively involved in UM alumni activities and serves on several alumni boards and committees.