- Niki Cianciola joined the UCATS staff in November of 2022, and currently serves as the Director, Athletics Operations. She oversees the day-to-day operations of UCATS office and leads the scholarship endowment program and C-Club alumni events. She also assists with the planning and execution of all donor events and experiences, stewardship efforts, communication and social media, and football and men’s basketball game day logistics.
- Prior to working in the UCATS office, Cianciola started her career in 2004 as member of the University of Cincinnati Athletics Department. She joined the staff as an administrative assistant in the UCATS Development office and went on to spend five years working with the Men and Women’s Basketball programs. She was then promoted to a Sports Program Associate where she worked with all Olympic sports, assisting with recruiting travel, team travel, and official visits. She also oversaw the travel and recruiting budgets and prepared home and away game contracts.
- In 2016, Cianciola was promoted to Director of Sports Services, where she served as the housing coordinator for all Olympic Sports, as well as a co-chair for the Department of Athletics Financial Literacy Program, assisting students with all aspects of their athletic scholarship, financial aid, and FAFSA. In addition, Cianciola served as the co-chair of the Department of Athletics One Team Diversity & Inclusion Committee, as well being a member of the UC Diversity & Inclusion Resource Liaison.
- Cianciola was promoted to the Director of Student-Athlete Development, where she served as the housing liaison for all sports programs, created student-athlete programming, education and events for all 450 student-athletes, with programming focusing on mental health, DEI and social justice initiatives, and personal development. Additionally, she assisted with CPAWS (Cincinnati Promoting Athlete Wellness and Success) signature programming, which included One Team Welcome Back, One Team New Student Orientations, One Team Honors, Letterwinner Recognitions, Bearcats Go Pro, and Student-Athlete Graduation Ceremonies. Cianciola helped lead and oversee SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee), IEC (Inspire, Equip, Connect), and BSAA (Black Student-Athlete Association).
- Cianciola earned her BA in Kinesiology-Sports Management and Communications from the University of Michigan. She is a four-time University of Cincinnati grad, earning a MSW-Social Work, MS Health Education-Public and Community Health and a MEd-Foundations of Behavior Analysis, and MS-Health and Wellness Management.
Niki Cianciola
Program Director, UCATS