West Hartford, Conn. – University of Hartford Director of Athletics/Special Assistant to the President Pat Meiser has been honored by the America East Conference as  Title IX Trailblazer as part of the NACWAA Title IX Trailblazer Tribute Video Contest. Meiser is one of 25 nominees submitted to NACWAA for inclusion in the contest.

The NACWAA Title IX Trailblazer Tribute Video Contest will honor the video receiving the most views on the NACWAA YouTube Channel with a $9,000 gift from the NACWAA Foundation Fund to be used in support of women's athletics programs and/or female staff professional development. The three videos receiving the most views will also be shown at the 2012 NACWAA National Convention October 7-10 in Kansas City.

America East sat down to talk to not only Meiser herself, but also to Hartford women's basketball head coach Jennifer Rizzotti, women's basketball student-athlete Nikkia Smith, University of Connecticut Special Adviser Dee Brown and Boston University Athletics Director Mike Lynch.

Meiser, in her 20th year as Director of Athletics for the University of Hartford, has contributed to intercollegiate athletics as a player, coach and administrator and has seen Title IX, its development and its impact over the last 40 years first hand.

After earning her bachelor's degree from West Chester University ('69) and her M.Ed. ('71) from Penn State, Meiser was the head women's basketball coach and a tenured faculty member with the Nittany Lions. She handed out the first women's basketball scholarship at Penn State ('74) and advanced the program to national recognition. Meiser also earned her MBA from Penn State and then served as associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Connecticut, playing a pivotal role in the rejuvenation of the athletics program.

Since becoming Director of Athletics at Hartford, Meiser has enhanced the Hawks' and the America East Conference's commitment to academics, athletics and leadership through student-athlete and staff engagement, community outreach and service, and a capital campaign which funded a major upgrade to athletics facilities. She is one of just 30 Division I female director of athletics and has won the Northeast Region I-AAA Athletic Director of the Year twice for her significant contributions.