Villanova Univeristy Athletics

Wildcats,

Welcome back Nova family!  I am rejuvenated and excited to continue building a relationship with you, supporting our UNITAS student-athlete affinity & Ally groups, and supporting our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion journey in athletics.

Student-athletes, Coaches and our entire athletics staff have provided leadership and inspiration through shared perspectives and experiences. Together, we are making Villanova a more welcoming and unified community for everyone. With that said, we still have much work to do.  Community building requires that we all lean in authentically, supporting social justice, and treating each other with respect, love and understanding.

Wearing the multiple Nova identities as former student-athlete, active alumni, Villanova parent, and now Assistant Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, I am ready to listen and learn from you.  Further, I am ready and prepared to stand alongside you to strive for equity and inclusion for everyone. Our UNITAS Leadership team has established strategic themes and goals this year to deepen our equity and inclusion work.

Our strategic themes are:

1. Conduct a Villanova Athletic Department DEI climate study, which supports our efforts to assess, discover, plan and act meaningfully and purposefully.
2. Tell our story to inform and increase awareness in full transparency
3. Establish a platform to measure and monitor our goals for accountability.
4. Seek advice and advocacy from our internal and external partners.

Community is Verb: Getting Involved

UNITAS student-athlete affinity and ally groups are student lead.   Each UNITAS group is a bit different in structure - some meet biweekly and some meet more occasionally. Each holding membership meetings and events for our community within and outside of athletics.

• The 13 Percent (Black-Student-Athletes)
• Women’s Empowerment
• Athlete Ally/GSA (LGBTQIA+)
• Every Mind Matters (Mental Health)
• International Student-Athletes
• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)
   

If you are interested in being a part of any of the groups or if you have ideas for new groups, please fill out this form and you will be connected with someone from the leadership committee.

DEI is everywhere and here are some reasons to reach out to me:

• You’re experiencing an issue with a person/situation in class or on the team and would like support and an outside/ DEI lens to talk through things.
• You’re thinking about how your own socialization around race, ethnicity, gender, class, ability, mental health affect, how you show up to others and you’d like to talk through this.
• You’re wondering how to support your team (coach or athlete) to be more inclusive and equitable
• You need resources to support the DEI work you’re doing
• You’d like support having a courageous conversation with family and caregivers
• You’d like to invite me to a practice, to present, or lead a dialogue
• You’re noticing a pattern with policies or practices that may be differently or disproportionately affecting some students with historically marginalized identities.
• You want to do better and just want a thought partner
   

I look forward to our community work because we are Stronger Together.

In unity and solidarity,
Leashia Lewis
Assistant Athletic Director for UNITAS-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Director of UNITAS

Follow @nova_unitas on Instagram and Twitter!

Welcome back Athletic Community! 

2023 is here bringing with it reflection, hope, and unending learning. In reflection of the past year, I notice movement from staying inside, masked, and constant uncertainty, a settling of voices for justice, to a surge of hope for something more. 

We are more attuned to mental health needs, social justice, environmental awareness, belonging and inclusivity, and more in-depth communication alongside our social media platforms.   In this tedder totter society, we at Villanova Athletics remain conscious of who we are and where we want to go.   We are a community of love and unity seeking diversity, standing up when we fall, and always pushing for excellence. 

Our Community Conversation in November showed me that we are ready and are all in for our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work.  We are not perfect, yet still, we seek justice and equity.  We are accepting of each other no matter where we come from, who we vote for, and what we look like.  We want to embrace our unique personalities, cultures, and identities.  We want to be a community!  At Villanova, community is a verb-- we will actively work together to build a community that is welcoming and inclusive to all. So Let's Go!!!   

Thank you for your trust and commitment to support our athletic community on our DEI Journey-- A journey that needs you to lean in, speak up, and show up.  

Here's what to Look forward to this Semester:

Education and Awareness:

RISE Education Modules: In-person, Digital, and Virtual. 

UNITAS Groups:

Many events, celebrations, and opportunities to unwind. 

Cultural Celebrations:

February: Black History Month- Theme Sankofa-Premier Event Thursday, Feb. 9th - 7pm. 

March: Women's History Month

UNITAS Events:

National Girls and Women in Sports Day-Feb. 1-3, 2023 

Sidelined Part 2: Date TBD

Please try to attend at least 2-3 events this semester!  If you are interested in joining UNITAS please complete this form.  

Peace,
Leashia Lewis 

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram

@nova_unitas 

HELLO, 2024-25 YEAR!

My name is Leashia Lewis and I’ve proudly been a part of the Villanova community for over 25 years. My journey began as a student-athlete on the Track & Field team. I’ve since served in various roles including campus leader, active alumna, professor, Villanova mom, and now as the Assistant Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion since August 2021. 

I am thrilled to welcome you to a new year—one filled with excitement and athletic pride as we move past the Olympics, transition into an election year, and launch new, exciting initiatives within Villanova Athletics. Our structured Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts on campus are relatively young with athletics having focused on building strategic, inclusive, and equitable foundations for over four years now. Stay connected with us via social media and our website throughout the year to meet our UNITAS staff, student leaders and learn more about the incredible work we’re doing. These individuals are dedicated to ensuring everyone in our community has a positive and inclusive experience. 

Our DEI platforms, or what we call JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) work within UNITAS Athletics, are here to support you. Our goal is to create an environment where every member of our community—Students, Staff, Coaches, and Administrators—feels a sense of inclusivity, belonging, equity and welcome for their identity, culture and ideals. Throughout the year, you’ll hear from UNITAS staff leaders and student leaders, get updates from our affinity and ally groups and learn about various cultures, identities, and opportunities to engage with JEDI-related topics. Stay tuned and stay connected! 

Take a moment to read our mission statement to understand our values. We believe that performing at the highest level requires hard work - something we as members of an athletic community thrive on. We also aim to broaden your understanding of why athletics is an excellent platform for showcasing our unique athletic gifts, what hard work means from a JEDI perspective and how to contribute to building a loving, honest and caring community. We believe this mindset will help our student-athletes maximize their abilities and contribute to their teams' successes—whether in games, meets or matches— and ultimately, in winning championships. Most importantly, we encourage everyone to do this by being their authentic selves. Our uniqueness is what will propel us to the next level. 

As your JEDI leader, know that We Got You! 

Here are a few ways to be a JEDI within Villanova Athletics: 

Listen: Listen to your body and to others for understanding and Care (Caritas)

Communicate: Share your truth, respect others’ truths, and ask questions to understand (Veritas)

Act: If you see something unjust or unkind, take action—seek support from campus resources, including our UNITAS team members (Justice)

Participate: Get involved in VIBES in Athletics (Villanova Internally Building Excitement for Sports)

Lean in: Join a UNITAS group, SAAC, or become a UNITAS Ambassador. Be the leader you were born to be (Unitas)

In case you’re wondering how I’m actively engaging in JEDI: 

I’m learning: Currently, I’m learning more about listening circles

I’m reading: GOD’s FREE-MAN by Ted Freeman (Villanova Football/Alumni Legacy)

I’m pushing: For policy changes for indigenous cultures around the world

My favorite athlete right now: Noah Lyles—I admire how he has leveled up despite his disability and mental health challenges

Staying connected: Keep checking www.villanova.com/unitas for the latest news and updates and follow us on X and Instagram at @nova_unitas

Dear Villanova Athletics Community,

As we prepare to welcome 2025, I find myself reflecting deeply on the year we are leaving behind. Our UNITAS team recently took time to consider the significance of the winter holidays and their influence on our work ahead. Inspired by Howard Thurman’s poem, The Meaning of Christmas, we embraced the theme of “Stillness”—an opportunity to slow down, rest, reflect, and process our achievements, culture, and ongoing allyship through the lens of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).

We are incredibly proud to have earned the John Thompson Award for the second year in a row. This achievement sets the stage for a second-semester celebration recognizing the prestigious NCAA/MOAA Division I Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. These honors affirm Villanova’s steadfast commitment to fostering a culture of belonging, inclusivity, and equity across all facets of our institution, including Athletics. As stewards of this mission, we continue laying the foundation for systems and structures that reflect our Augustinian values of UNITAS (Unity), Veritas (Truth), and Caritas (Love).

Reflecting on the small wins that paved the way for these larger accomplishments, I see how moments of growth often follow mistakes. Our willingness to learn from these experiences demonstrates our dedication to Villanova’s Rooted and Restless strategic mission. Each of our teams has hosted and supported UNITAS games, tailgates, and meets, strengthening our collective sense of empowerment and community. Led by our incredible student-athlete leaders, our UNITAS groups have worked diligently to foster allyship and engagement—and you have been there to support them every step of the way.

From student-athletes to coaches, administrators, and staff, our entire athletic community exemplifies the UNITAS spirit. This commitment is evident in our daily interactions, shared experiences, and the care we extend to one another. I see it in your engagement, hear it in your testimonials, and feel it in the culture we are building together.

Despite the challenges that persist beyond our athletic sphere, we remain steadfast in creating an environment where everyone can thrive—champions on and off the field. The leadership of our athletes continually pushes us to do better, using our voices, platforms, and knowledge to cultivate a just and equitable culture within Villanova and beyond.

To our entire Athletics community—thank you. Continue your pursuit of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Take moments of stillness to recognize your strengths and purpose. And remember, you are never alone in this journey. Building community is shared work, it's all about WE over ME.  If you want to be involved with all of the opportunities and programming we have this upcoming semester, be sure to follow @nova_unitas on social media and check back to villanova.com/unitas.

Keep learning, listening, and loving.

With gratitude and peace,

Leashia Lewis

Welcome to Fall Semester

We are a month into the new school year—filled with hopes for a strong start, renewed friendships, and the realization of academic, athletic, and social goals. Yet, both within our Villanova community and beyond, we are reminded of a chilling reality: life is uncertain, and the only constant is change.

We see it in the national shifts that threaten our shared humanity, in the evolving landscape of athletics with revenue sharing, transfer portal movement, and NIL, and in the personal milestones each of us encounters on our life journey.

Our focus this year is to flow with change—whether it feels comfortable or uncomfortable. Athletics Unitas continues to be strengthened by the collective work of leaders across campus, aligning our efforts more deeply with our Augustinian values. Within Athletics, our Unitas mission centers on cultivating community, culture, and engagement.

To us, Unitas means coming together as our authentic selves, grounded in shared values of love, sacrifice, and belonging. Community, culture, and engagement are about building one another up—not just as athletes or professionals, but as whole people—through shared experiences, care, dialogue, and lifelong learning.

This work is not mine alone—it is a collective effort of students, coaches, staff, and administrators. Together, we must cheer one another on, prioritize mental health, and embrace the uniqueness each of us contributes to our athletic family.

This year, I ask that we:

• Learn together.
• Cheer each other on at competitions.
• Lean into cultivating a culture of belonging.

I look forward to a year of positive VIBES and meaningful collective engagement. Stay tuned to our social media to see the work of our seven student-athlete Affinity and Ally groups, and don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our UNITAS Staff Leaders to share ideas, seek support, and stay engaged.

Most of all, I ask you to continue dedicating yourself to learning. Here’s what I am working on…

Leashia is reading: The Message by Ta-Nahisi Coates-National Bestseller and renowned author journeys to three resonant sites of conflict to explore how the stories we tell-the ones we don’t-shape our realities.

Leashia is watching: ESPN E60 Documentary on Katie Meyer-– the former Stanford women’s soccer goalkeeper, and national champion who died by suicide in ‘22.

Leashia is learning about: Culture and Communities of Fraternity and Sororities at Villanova University

Each of these learning engagements help me to grow as a leader and grow in my humanity as I support the Unitas work in Athletics.

Leashia Lewis