VILLANOVA, Pa.—Villanova University trustee and former women's track & field and cross country NCAA champion Nnenna Lynch '93 was elected the Co-President of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars (AARS) in a vote by the organization's Board of Directors on September 26. The AARS has elected three women to fill its top leadership positions for the first time in its 113-year history. Lynch, who became Villanova's first Rhodes Scholar when she earned the prestigious honor in 1993, was unanimously elected Co-President along with Janice R. Ugaki. They are the first women to serve as AARS President since the association was founded in 1907. Emelia Spencer Probasco was elected Vice President. All three women are themselves Rhodes Scholars.
 
Lynch received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Villanova's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1993. She has been a member of the University's Board of Trustees since 2015 and is the Founder and CEO of NYC-based Xylem Projects, a mission-driven real estate investment and development firm focused on creating projects that help communities thrive. She previously served as Director of Development at The Georgetown Company, LLC, a privately held real estate investment and development firm in New York City. Lynch was the Senior Policy Advisor to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for six years and led interagency teams to create and implement economic development policies, projects and initiatives.
 
Since Lynch became the first Rhodes Scholar from Villanova in 1993, fellow student-athletes Becky Spies '95 (women's track & field/cross country) and Jessica Wamala '13 '14 (women's basketball) have followed and received the awards in 1995 and 2013, respectively.
 
The Rhodes Scholarships were created in 1902 and are the oldest, and regarded by many, as the most prestigious graduate fellowships in the world, providing students from the U.S. and 44 other countries with postgraduate education at Oxford University. An Act of Parliament made it possible for women to become Rhodes Scholars for the first time in 1979.
 
As a student-athlete for the Wildcats, Lynch was the NCAA outdoor champion in the 3000 meters in 1992. She was a seven-time All-American, a 10-time BIG EAST champion and a 20-time All-BIG EAST honoree during her collegiate career while competing for some of the top teams in the history of the Villanova track & field program and cross country program. The women's cross country team won NCAA titles each year of Lynch's career during an unprecedented run of six consecutive national crowns from 1989-94. Lynch was also a part of three indoor BIG EAST champion teams and ran a leg of three Championship of America winning relays at the Penn Relays. She was named the NCAA Woman of the Year in 1993 and was presented with an NCAA Silver Anniversary Award in 2018 to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the former honor. Lynch was inducted to the Villanova University Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2010.
 
About the American Association of Rhodes Scholars: The AARS (www.americanrhodes.org) was founded in 1907, and today, has a membership of more than 2,300 Rhodes Scholars elected from or currently living in the USA. The mission of the AARS is to bring Rhodes Scholars in America together in support of the Rhodes Scholarships, Oxford University and the qualities of scholarship, leadership and service that underlie the awards. The AARS publishes a highly acclaimed journal, The American Oxonian, promotes reunions and events, and administers charitable trusts supporting Oxford University and the distinguished Eastman Professorship at Oxford.
 
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University's Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others.  There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges – the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University School of Law.  As students grow intellectually, Villanova prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.
 
About Villanova Athletics: Villanova University has a long and storied athletics history defined by excellence both in competition and in the classroom.  The Villanova Athletics Department is a community of student-athletes, coaches and staff whose primary focus is to achieve academic excellence, while striving to produce teams and individuals committed to athletic competition and outstanding performance.  Villanova Athletics sponsors 24 varsity sports, which together include more than 550 student-athletes.  Villanova is a member of the BIG EAST Conference, CAA Football, Colonial Athletic Association (Rowing) and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (Water Polo).