COLCHESTER, Vt. - Dr. Dave Landers spent more than three decades positively influencing the lives of Saint Michael's College students as a professor, but the 13 years he also spent as the school's faculty athletics representative left a lasting effect on not only the Department of Athletics but the Northeast-10 Conference.

 

Landers' impact would be clear if only evidenced by both Saint Michael's and the NE10 naming their faculty mentor awards in his honor, but on Friday, the NE10 further highlighted Landers' legacy by recognizing him as one of the 40 most outstanding individuals in the league's 40-year history.

 

"What a fitting tribute for Dave," said Director of Athletics Chris Kenny '86. "He expanded the role of FAR far beyond its traditional boundaries, and demonstrated his commitment to student-athletes in so many meaningful ways. In Dave, our students knew they had a dedicated advocate, mentor, adviser and trusted friend."

 

As the College's FAR, Landers acted as a liaison between the student-athletes and the institution's faculty from 2005 to 2018. He played an integral role in a number of initiatives that helped improve academic performance by Purple Knight student-athletes, including strengthening the Faculty Team Affiliate Program by recruiting a faculty member to join each varsity program and aid in the solution of academic hurdles. "I believe our national prominence in the NCAA Division II Academic Success Rate (ASR) is directly related to the Faculty Affiliate program that Dave created and fostered," said Kenny, referring to Saint Michael's Athletics ranking among the top four nationally in ASR for the last 12 years, finishing as the Division II leader three times.

 

"Dave was without a doubt one of the most impactful people during my time at Saint Michael's," said men's ice hockey alumnus Justin McKenzie '17, a co-founder of mental health awareness organization Hope Happens Here. "Not only was he my psychology professor, he was also a friend to kill time with in between classes and someone to provide guidance as our faculty affiliate on the men's ice hockey team."

 

"From welcoming us on campus as freshmen to being with us all the way through graduation, I cannot imagine my Saint Mike's experience without Dave and his unyielding support," said fellow men's ice hockey alumnus Danny Divis '17, also an HHH founder. "When Justin and I started Hope Happens Here, he was indispensable; I'm not sure it would have taken off as it ultimately did without his encouragement and assistance. He was there with us from the beginning of Hope Happens Here and continues to be a beacon for the cause."

 

Active beyond the realm of academic advising, Landers was a familiar face at countless Saint Michael's sporting events, volunteered to take pies to the face through HHH's Pie a Purple Knight fundraiser in 2016, and was influential in the Saint Michael's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) contributing to the It Gets Better Project in 2011, when he challenged the student-athlete leaders to complete a video as part of a cause responding to the suicides of LGBTQIA+ youths who had been bullied.

 

"Besides knowing you could always find him standing against the glass on the right side of the defensive zone at every home game at Cairns Arena - and providing period-by-period updates on Facebook - Dave always made himself available to anyone on campus that might have needed him," added McKenzie. "One of the biggest ways Dave supported the student-athletes was to educate us on how to continually put ourselves in the right situations. As he would always say, the impact we make on campus and the people in our community will outlast the impact we make on the playing field."

 

In January 2015, Landers received the second annual Dr. Dave Pariser Faculty Mentor Award from the NCAA Division II SAAC during the NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C. The Saint Michael's SAAC and NE10 renamed their faculty mentor awards in Landers' honor upon his retirement in 2018, after Saint Michael's Athletics held a special on-court ceremony during a basketball game earlier that winter. Landers also served a stint as chair of the NE10 FAR Committee.

 

"When Dave received the Pariser Award at the 2015 NCAA Convention, he elevated the awareness of the role of FAR on our campus and across the NE10," said Kenny. "I think many more people on the member campuses came to better understand the important role the FAR plays in the overall success of an athletic department."

 

The impression Landers left on Saint Michael's student-athletes also continues to live on. "I imagine the amount of hours he spent watching student-athletes compete adds up to a ridiculous amount of time - time that Dave willingly gave up to support us," said Divis. "Simply put, Dave supported student-athletes in every way imaginable."

 

Dr. Dave Landers Links of Note:

• Landers Retires as Saint Michael's FAR
• Inaugural NE10 Dr. Dave Landers Faculty Mentor Award
• This is the Northeast-10: Dr. Dave Landers

ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete. 

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.