CLEVELAND - The Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) is pleased to announce Marcus Brown, assistant director of academic and membership affairs at the NCAA, and DaDa Willis-Gregory, assistant director at the University of North Carolina (UNC) as the 2023 Rudy Keeling Scholarship recipients.  

Brown and Willis-Gregory will both receive $2,500 postgraduate scholarships 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, Bob McCloskey Insurance and the NCAA. 

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. 

At the NCAA, Brown currently serves as the assistant director of academic and membership affairs. Prior to working at the NCAA, Brown worked on multiple Division I campuses within the membership in the areas of academic support and compliance. Brown also competed as a student-athlete at Indiana University where he earned his B.S. in Kinesiology. Brown also earned his M.S. in Higher Education from Missouri State University. As Brown continues to move through his career, his goal is to help prepare students and administrators with the necessary foundations, skills, and talents needed to prepare for the demands of a changing global society. In pursuit of achieving this goal and living out his purpose, Brown has started the process to further his education with the goal of earning a Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from Marian University. The Rudy Keeling Postgraduate Scholarship will help provide him the chance to enhance his knowledge, sharpen his skills and reinvest his time and energy into serving MOAA, and other key stakeholders in his career. 

At UNC, Willis-Gregory serves as the academic counselor for men's basketball, men's golf, gymnastics, and women's lacrosse. She oversees the department's book program and monthly DEI newsletter. Willis-Gregory is an active member of the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) and currently serves as the vice-chair of the LGBTQA+ committee. Prior to UNC, she served on the campuses of the University of New Mexico (UNM) and Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi (TAMUCC). Willis-Gregory earned her bachelor's degree in kinesiology and Master of Public Administration from TAMUCC, where she was also a Ronald E. McNair Scholar.    

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Willis-Gregory now resides in Durham, North Carolina with her partner, Taryn and son, Sebastian. She is excited to be a doctoral candidate in the Physical Education, Sports, and Exercise Science program with a concentration in Sport Administration at UNM. 

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.