Minnesota State University - Mankato Athletics

Karey Kalakian was named Minnesota State's Athletics Academic Advisor in September of 2014 and serves in her current role as Assistant Athletic Director/Academic Services & Student Development.

Prior to joining Maverick Athletics, Kalakian spent eight years as the Assistant Director of Minnesota State's Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) and Concurrent Enrollment programs. She earned her undergraduate (1999) and graduate (2001) degrees from Minnesota State. Kalakian has served as an adjunct faculty member in the University's Health Science and New Student and Family Programs departments. Kalakian recently helped design a first-year seminar course designed specifically for the student-athlete population. 

In her role in Minnesota State Athletics, Kalakian provides direct academic advising and support to nearly 600 student-athletes across 20 sports at the Division I and II levels. Her work within the Athletics Compliance and Certification Team will ensure all student-athletes are meeting or working toward NCAA Division I and Division II academic progress toward degree rules. Kalakian will oversee all student-athlete class scheduling needs as well as helping them develop a semester-by-semester path to graduation. Other duties will include scheduling tutoring services or other academic accommodation needs as well as connecting our student-athletes to various departments and academic colleges, faculty, and staff across campus to ensure academic success on and off the field. Kalakian will work closely with the Faculty Athletics Representative in nominating student-athletes for NCAA degree completion awards and post graduate scholarships.  

Her efforts have helped foster an environment in which the Maverick student-athletes have posted seven of the highest combined GPA’s in school history, including the past eight semesters, highlighted by the spring 2021 semester in which the department’s GPA was 3.66.