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Matthew Beaudry can check another item off his bucket list.

Beaudry knows collegiate athletics.

With just over two weeks at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn under his belt, Beaudry is working to complete an assessment of the department. He has spent much of his time meeting with department staff, coaches and student-athletes to better understand their needs and expectations.

“It’s a new era, a new time,” he said. “We have new coaches and new leadership. We need to capitalize on that as much as possible.”

His one-on-one meetings with each sports team helped him draw one conclusion: Our student-athletes are exceptional. Beaudry has committed to making their experience at 51��Ƶ-Dearborn a more powerful one—one that surrounds them with the resources and skills they need to be successful in the 21^st century.

“I want to promote the total student experience, so when they leave here after graduation, they’re confident in the skills that they’ve developed and the future that they have in their chosen industry and in life.”

As he plans for the future of athletics, Beaudry says a successful program is one that embraces the campus community, including faculty and staff.

“I think the most exciting opportunity is our future and building relationships with the entire campus,” Beaudry said. “My approach will be to open up the athletic department and move us across campus to integrate with different departments and units to allow us to have a collaborative relationship, whether it’s with the College of Engineering and Computer Science or admissions.”

A native of Marysville, Mich., Beaudry earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and master’s degree in sports administration, both from Michigan State University.