Meet Dr. Amy Bohnert: Loyola’s New Faculty Athletic Representative

Over the summer, Loyola Athletics named psychology professor Dr. Amy Bohnert as its new Faculty Athletic Representative.

As FAR, Bohnert serves as a liaison between the university’s faculty and the Athletic Department. Her role extends outside of campus, where she’s responsible for representing Loyola on the national level as a delegate in Atlantic 10 Conference and NCAA affairs, with a specific position on the A-10 Officiating Committee.

Bohnert said she was happy to see the initial position offer in an email from the Provost’s office.

“An email for the job popped up and I gasped,” Bohnert said. “I was so excited. I didn’t have to read anymore, I knew I wanted to apply.” 

After accepting the job, Bohnert has continued to roll with the punches while figuring out what her new title entails on a day-to-day basis.

“I’m going to figure out what the student-athletes, athletic department, faculty and administration need, and figure out what that looks like with the experiences I bring to the table,” Bohnert said. “I’m open to taking everything in and seeing what the right thing is for student-athletes here at Loyola.”

Bohnert was familiar with the collegiate athletics structure, even before taking the job. In college, she was a swimmer at the University of Michigan, where her team won three Big Ten Conference titles. 

She said she believes her experience as a student-athlete gives her a greater appreciation for the challenges they face. 

College athletics have become more complicated since Bohnert took the FAR position. With the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness rights and policies which allow athletes to transfer schools as many times as they would like, collegiate sports have experienced a new level of athlete autonomy.

Bohnert is looking forward to seeing how these changes affect Loyola’s student-athletes. These new policies not only intrigue Bohnert as a FAR, but also as a researcher.

“For coaches and teammates, it changes the landscape of collegiate sports,” Bohnert said. “It’s an interesting and exciting time to be navigating some of these new opportunities that exist. As a psychologist, I’m intrigued to learn about the implications for coaches, teammates and that athlete.” 

Despite the challenges in the evolving landscape of collegiate sports, Bohnert said she’s eager to step into her new role. Her first goal is to get a sense of the position and build on the support system Loyola offers student-athletes.

Loyola offers multiple levels of academic and mental health support to student-athletes, including a special UNIV 101 section for new athletes. Bohnert lauded the athlete-support team behind these initiatives and has expressed a willingness to help them in any way possible.

Outside of her role as the FAR, Bohnert serves as an Associate Professor in Clinical and Developmental Psychology. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Michigan and her master’s degree and doctorate in child clinical psychology at Penn State University and came to Loyola in 2003 after interning at the University of Chicago.

“I just fell in love with the city, it was a love-at-first-sight moment,” Bohnert said. “I liked the vibe of the university and the focus on social justice and experiential learning, but also I just really liked my colleagues here.”

As a researcher, Bohnert has published over 50 papers, with her research largely focusing on how out of school experiences shape youths’ physical and psychological well-being. Her most recent project involves looking into how sleep affects adolescents in their day-to-day lives.

She also leads the Activity Matters Lab, which evaluates several community-based programs that aim to improve the health and well-being of urban youth. The goal of this lab is to inform policy and provide recommendations that positively influence the health of adolescents.

When she’s not teaching or dealing with FAR responsibilities, Bohnert said she enjoys sailing with her friends, running, cooking and spending time with her family and friends.