The University of Detroit Mercy Department of Athletics dedicated its brand new Thomas and Arvie McNamara Family Student-Athlete Academic Center and the Eli Holman Study Hall in the fall os 2016.
"This is probably one of the proudest days I have had in my time in over 27 years of collegiate athletics," said Director of Athletics Robert C. Vowels, Jr."As a former student-athlete, when you have people who believe in you and want to give back for the opportunity to get better as a person, it does wonders for you."
With a cost of over $300,000, it is one of the latest facility enhancement to Titan Athletics. The area features personal study rooms, individual desks for studying and tables for group projects. A smart video board is also installed and the Titan Compliance and Academic Departments are housed in the center.
Academic help will be provided as well as brand new computers for all student-athlete use.
"I would like to thank everyone who made this possible," said Vowels. "Thank you to the McNamara family, Eli Holman and everyone involved who helped make this a reality. It is a tremendous benefit to our student-athletes and one that they will appreciate as much as I do."
Former Titan and Horizon League standout Eli Holman '13 was one of the major donors behind the new academic center and the new study hall named in his honor.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to give back," said Holman. "This is something that our student-athletes need. A degree is something that can never be taken away from you."
"I want to thank Eli for his generous gift," said President Garibaldi. "He represents a lot of what this University is about. He is just a great model and a reflection of the kind of individuals that we want to grow around here."
The Titans have always been lauded for their work in the classroom. Since 1981, six student-athletes have earned Valedictorian honors. Six Titans have also received the Horizon League Coleman Medal of Honor, including three since 2015. The men's lacrosse team has led or tied the MAAC in All-Academic selections eight times since 2010 and the women's lacrosse team has seen a student-athlete recognized as the Atlantic Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2017. The Detroit Mercy women's golf team has also been among the national leaders in team GPA, ranking in the top 20 in Division I four times since 2012, including third in 2014 with a 3.838.
