Academic Support Services Staff

Canisius University Athletics

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Julie Byron
Associate Director of Athletics/SWA

Julie Byron was named Canisius' Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) on Sept. 1, 2026. Byron joins the Canisius athletic department’s senior leadership team after spending the previous seven years working in various roles at Marist University.

Byron has administrative oversight of academic advising, compliance, sports medicine and Canisius’ student-athlete development efforts. She also as the primary campus liaison to Canisius’ academic operational and student-service units, and she is the primary point of contact for Canisius’ Faculty Athletic Representative. As the school’s SWA, she represents the University at all Metro Conference and NCAA meetings, and she handles administrative oversight for Canisius' women's basketball, women's soccer, women's lacrosse, acrobatics and tumbling, cross country/track and swimming and diving programs.

Lindy Feider
Assistant Director Academic Achievement & Student Athlete Support

A two-time graduate of Canisius College and a former graduate assistant in the College's Career Center, Lindy Feider is in her seventh year as the assistant director of academic achievement and student-athlete support services.

Feider returned to Canisius after spending the previous 12 years as an academic advisement counselor and student-athlete support at Medaille College. In that role, she counseled a caseload of more than 200 undergraduate students regarding academic requirements, while also assisting with student registration. The recipient of Medaille's Student Government Association Staff Member of the Year Award in 2017 and 2019, she supervised and trained graduate assistants and undergraduate student staff in the school's Advisement Center.

Ava DiRubbo
Academic Support Services Graduate Assistant

Ava DiRubbo enters her first year as the student-athlete support services graduate assistant at Canisius. She serves as an academic mentor for student-athletes and a co-advisor for SAAC and the Golden Griffins Leadership Academy.

DiRubbo graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2026, where she received her B.S. in Statistics and earned a minor in French.

At Pitt, DiRubbo served as a student manager for the Pitt softball team for three seasons.

A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Ava is pursuing her master's degree in sport administration.