Sept. 22, 2017 Villanova University Director of Academic Support For Athletics Jennifer Brophy today announced the hiring of Taryn Nichols as an Athletic Academic Advisor.

Nichols is no stranger to Villanova Athletics. She joined the Villanova community in August of 2012 as an academic intern in the Office of Academic Support for Athletics. In this role, she assisted with the daily management of the Freshman Mentoring Program and the Mandatory Study Hall Program. She also aided in the certification of continuing eligibility and the operation of the Tutorial Assistance Program. Before coming to Villanova, Nichols interned at Indiana University in the Athletics Compliance Department.

In 2014, Nichols joined the Villanova School of Business as an academic advisor where she met with undergraduate business students, focusing primarily on academics, the student's adjustment to Villanova, time management, extracurricular opportunities, major/minor interests, and career aspirations. She also co-managed the VSB Peer Advisor Program and was an active member of the VSB Global Programs Committee. She is currently an instructor for VSB 2000: Backpack to Briefcase, a sophomore-year VSB course.

Professionally, she is a member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), having co-presented at a regional conference. She is a member of the Philadelphia Lean In Circle and participates actively on-campus in Intergroup Relations.

Nichols received her Master of Science in Higher Education with a concentration in Student Development from Drexel University in 2014. She completed her graduate thesis on “Factors that Affect the Perceptions of Student-Athletes by Non Student-Athletes.” Nichols completed her undergraduate degree at Temple University, where she studied Sport and Recreation Management and was a four-year varsity letterwinner and team captain for the Women’s Field Hockey team.

She lives in Chestnut Hill, Pa., with her husband Jon, who is a Major Gift Officer for Penn Athletics.