WALTHAM, Mass. – Brandeis Athletics has added recent University of New Hampshire graduate Cayla Fernandes to its staff as a Coordinator of New Media after being awarded an NCAA Division III Ethnic Minority and Women's Internship Grant for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

The grant is designed to provide financial assistance to Division III member schools and conferences that are committed to enhancing ethnic minority and gender representation in entry-level, intercollegiate athletics administrative positions. In its 19th year, the grant is a two-year program that provides NCAA funding for full-time, entry-level positions. The funding supports the salary of the intern hired and their professional development. Brandeis was one of 43 Division III institutions or conferences to receive the grant from the NCAA.

"We are grateful to the NCAA for awarding us this grant, allowing us to support our goal of continuing to build a diverse, talented staff. We are thrilled to welcome Cayla to our team and look forward to the energy and new ideas she will bring to the Brandeis community," said director of athletics Lauren Haynie.

Fernandes, who will start at Brandeis in August, was an integral part of UNH's marketing efforts over the past four years, serving as a  marketing intern for the women's basketball and football teams in 2017 and 2018. Starting in 2018-19, she worked for the UNH marketing department and produced content for all 20 Wildcat varsity teams. Fernandes was a two-time recipient of New Hampshire's Athletics Department Innovation Award. In addition to her work for UNH, Fernandes also spent time doing marketing for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats minor league baseball team, the Manchester Monarchs of minor league hockey, and worked for the NCAA at the 2019 Division I Northeast Regional Men's Ice Hockey Championships.

In her role at Brandeis, Fernandes will play a part in creating and implementing a new media plan for the Judges that aligns with and promotes the mission, goals, values and educational ideals of Brandeis University, as well as the mission of the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation. She will be responsible for providing equal support to the entire athletic department by producing content and assisting with general marketing and sports information tasks, with a primary focus on video, photography and social media.