Victoria M. "Vicky" Chun, a true trailblazer in the world of collegiate athletics, was appointed as the Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics at Yale University by President Peter Salovey on February 1, 2018.
Her official tenure with the Bulldogs began on July 1 of the same year. Chun made history as both the first woman and the first Asian American to hold this position.
Since assuming her role, Chun has exhibited dynamic leadership and unwavering dedication to Yale Athletics. Her innovative approach to the challenges of NCAA Division I athletics has earned her past recognition as a "Game Changer" by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal.
In July 2024, Chun was appointed to serve on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee and will serve through August 31, 2029.
She also serves on the Visiting Committee for Student Life at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
In March 2023, Chun was bestowed with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year award, lauding her as a thought leader and decision maker in the world of college athletics. It was the second time she received this honor, the first being in 2018 while serving as the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Colgate University. Chun became the first Director of Athletics to win at two different institutions within the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) since the award’s inception in 1998.
Chun's impact on Yale Athletics is undeniable. Her tenure has been marked by unprecedented success and a relentless commitment to excellence both on and off the field. She has not only upheld Yale's tradition of athletic excellence but has also made significant strides in improving the student-athlete experience, championing community, and transforming Yale's athletic facilities and support systems.
Yale Athletics has reached remarkable heights since her appointment including 11 national championships, 38 Ivy League titles, 57 major individual year-end Ivy League awards, 61 team national championship/tournament appearances, 144 All-Americans, and 86 NCAA individual qualifiers. Her commitment to holistic success is evident in the recognition of over 180 Academic All-Ivy student-athletes during her tenure, and the elevation of Yale's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
During Chun’s first five years, she oversaw the complete revitalization of the athletic department’s facilities, including more than $100 million in new construction and renovation projects.
Completed projects include the 34,800-square-foot Tsai Lacrosse Field House, home to the Yale men’s and women’s lacrosse programs and the men’s and women’s soccer programs, and the $38M renovated Lapham Field House at Smilow Field Center at the Carm Cozza Complex, home to Yale football and Yale men's and women's cross country and track and field. Other facilities improvements have included new videoboards for ice hockey, lacrosse/soccer, basketball/volleyball/gymnastics, and swimming and diving. Drastic improvements to the historic Yale Bowl, included new turf field, videoboard, concessions, and rest rooms. The field hockey complex received a state-of-the-art turf, watering system and videoboard that makes it one of the best field hockey facilities in the nation, and the softball complex had state of the art field lighting installed. In addition, renovations were made to the fencing salon and gymnastics studio, significant accessibility improvements, and the restoration of the George H. W. Bush ’42 Field. Currently, a complete restoration is in progress for the Yale University Golf Course.
Chun has also demonstrated an extraordinary ability to mobilize resources, having successfully raised over $65 million in capital funding. Her expertise extends beyond just securing major donations as she has also played a pivotal role in orchestrating impactful annual giving strategies that have garnered substantial support from donors.
As the first Asian-American woman athletics director in NCAA Division I history, Chun has demonstrated a tireless commitment to community and engagement initiatives.
Under her leadership, Yale Bulldogs for Change was created which is an umbrella organization for student-athlete affinity groups that promote Anti-Hate, Belonging, and Community. Chun also is one of three co-founders of 4AAPI, the Asian American & Pacific Islander Athletics Alliance, a nonprofit association for the AAPI community working in sports and beyond.
Chun’s dedication to student-athlete health and well-being also has been vital to the launch of mental health initiatives and improvements in staffing areas that directly support student-athletes. She has invested in technology and innovative tools that aid rehabilitation, injury prevention, and overall player safety.
Chun is not just a leader in the world of athletics; she has also dedicated herself to advancing women. In 2021, the publication New Haven Biz honored Chun with its annual “Women in Business” award, which spotlights successful women in the New Haven community who contribute to the economic vitality and community health in the greater New Haven region. She has also been a long-time board member and past president of Women Leaders in Sports (WLS), an organization dedicated to increasing the presence of women in leadership positions in collegiate athletics. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, WLSS selected her as the National Administrator of the Year (FCS Division) in 2010 and in 2022, she was named a “Trailblazer of Title IX.”
Before her tenure at Yale, Chun served as the Vice President and Director of Athletics at Colgate University, where she made history once again by becoming the first Asian American woman Athletic Director in NCAA Division I history.
Her contributions to collegiate athletics extend to her role as a member of the NCAA Division I Council, where she served as vice-chair of the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee and as a member of the Division I Football Competition Committee.
Chun's commitment to both athletics and academics is evident in her own journey. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate in 1991 with double majors in Political Science and Education, followed by a Master of Arts degree in History in 1994.
As a student-athlete herself, Chun was a standout on the Raider volleyball team during her undergraduate years. She was not only a four-year letter winner but also a two-year captain. Her leadership on the court played a pivotal role in helping the Raiders secure the inaugural Patriot League championship in 1990. Chun's outstanding performance earned her a place on the All-Patriot League Team in the league's first two years of existence, and she remains a member of the Patriot League's All-Decade Team for the 1990s. Her contributions were further celebrated when she was named Patriot League Player of the Year in 1991. In 2023, Colgate in conjunction with the Patriot League Conference recognized her as a “Trailblazer of Distinction” which recognizes the accomplishments of impactful women leaders during the Title IX era.
Chun's love for the sport extended beyond her playing days, as she transitioned into coaching. From 1994 to 1997, she served as the head coach of the Colgate volleyball team, amassing a remarkable 67-27 record. Under her guidance, the team clinched two conference championships and secured Colgate's first-ever NCAA tournament berth. In 2015, in recognition of her dedication to the program both as a student-athlete and coach, Colgate volleyball retired her jersey.
In June 2011, Chun received the prestigious Maroon Citation, recognizing her significant and invaluable contributions to Colgate. Her record of service and commitment to the student-athlete experience was evident. In 1999, she had already been inducted into the Colgate Hall of Honor, just three years after receiving the Howard Hartman Award, presented to the Colgate Coach of the Year.
Chun's impact on the academic experience for student-athletes at Colgate extended to the dedication of the Academic Services Center, named in honor of Chun and her mother, Susan Chun, in September 2017. The state-of-the-art facility is a testament to her commitment to excellence in academics and her ability to foster relationships with alumni and donors to support the student-athlete experience.
Chun's expertise and insights have been featured in prominent publications, including the NCAA's Champions magazine and The Huffington Post. She is a frequent contributor to numerous sports publications across the nation and regularly speaks on topics related to leadership in sports, organizational dynamics, teamwork, community support and engagement. In 2020, Chun also served as an External Reviewer of Northwestern Athletics and Recreation in 2020 and was a member of the MIT Student Life Visiting Committee.
Beyond her professional achievements, Chun is a devoted member of the UCLA Patient Family Advisory Council. Her roots trace back to Santa Monica, California, where her parents, Susan Chan Chun and Victor Chun, have their own remarkable stories. Her mother set a national record by swimming across Hong Kong Harbor at the age of 13, while her father played varsity soccer at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and authored books on American PT Boats of World War II.
