CLEVELAND - The Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) is pleased to announce Karen M. Carty, assistant athletics director for marketing, fan engagement and diversity initiatives at Bradley University as the 2020 Rudy Keeling Scholarship recipient. Carty will receive a $2,500 postgraduate scholarship toward an advanced degree with the intention of furthering administrative pursuits within the intercollegiate athletics industry. The scholarship will be presented with financial assistance of sponsors, Kevin Carroll and Bob McCloskey Insurance.

As the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Commissioner, Rudy Keeling was the first African-American ever to head a major sports conference, a position he held from 2007 until his retirement in January 2013. He was also a former member of the MOAA Board of Directors. Candidates for the scholarship were reviewed by the MOAA leadership and members of the Keeling Family.

Prior to Bradley, Carty also spent time in the athletics departments at Norfolk State University (NSU), Baltimore City Community College BCCC), South Carolina State University (SCSU) and Grambling State University (GSU).

A native of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Carty graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in general business with an emphasis in marketing from NSU in 2004. She was a member of the women's tennis team and was named to the 2004 MEAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team. She also is a lifetime member of Golden Key International Honour Society and Beta Gamma Sigma, an honor society for business majors. Additionally, Carty currently holds memberships in the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) and the Black College Sports Information Directors Association (BCSIDA).

A participant in the 2019 NCAA Leadership Education Series, Carty earned her master's degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, Ala. in 2009 and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in higher education administration at Bradley.

About the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association: Administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association promotes equitable employment opportunities for minorities in the athletics industry through the exchange of ideas, the creation of networking opportunities and the avocation of an increase in employment for minorities in athletics administration positions at all levels of the sports industry. The association also promotes cultivating a sports environment that supports the values necessary to accept aspiring professionals from all walks of life. For more information on the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association, please visit www.moaaweb.com.