HAMMOND & WESTVILLE, Ind. -- PNW Athletics is honored to announce Volleyball Head Coach Julie Wiejak will be joining Purdue Northwest's Office of the Chancellor as Senior Executive Assistant for Strategic Initiatives. While the Pride Volleyball student-athletes, PNW coaches and staff will truly miss Coach Wiejak, PNW Athletics congratulates her on this new opportunity.
 
"I am very excited for Julie," said Director of Athletics Rick Costello. "This is an amazing opportunity. Julie's passion and energy have been a driving force in our department over these last few years while we transitioned to NCAA Division II. She has been an amazing role model and coach for the Pride student-athletes, and she will be greatly missed. I look forward to continuing to work with Julie in her new role in Chancellor Thomas L. Keon's office."
 
In her time at PNW, Julie has served as the volleyball head coach for six seasons and led a number of initiatives for the Athletics Department. She has been very active in leading the Powers-Purdue Golf Invitational, has grown the University's overnight camp program, led her team to the program's first post-season appearance, and transitioned the PNW Volleyball program into a competitive NCAA Division II team. She also served as the interim Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman's Administrator, was chair of APSAC and is active on the University Strategic Planning Task Force.
 
"I am humbled and extremely grateful to have been selected to join the Office of the Chancellor," said Head Coach Julie Wiejak. "I look forward to working closely with Chancellor Keon, and his staff, as we continue to make PNW the premier university in Northwest Indiana. PNW Athletics will always be near and dear to my heart. Until now, much of my career has been spent pursuing a passion that I have loved deeply. I am fully ready to further my professional career and walk off of the court to embrace new challenges in higher education and focus on continuous improvement here at PNW."
 
Julie's leadership, energy, commitment to PNW and its students, and varied background in higher education has made her an invaluable asset to PNW Athletics and will no doubt make her a truly valued addition to the Office of the Chancellor. In her new position, Julie will be responsible for working with university constituents, business leaders, and other PNW partners to organize and facilitate activities and projects of the Chancellor's office. She will be a liaison between Chancellor Keon and Purdue President Mitch Daniels' office, the vice chancellors, the various departments within PNW, as well as across all Purdue campuses. 
 
Julie will continue to serve as head coach of the volleyball program through the 2019 fall season. A nationwide search will be launched later this fall for PNW's next volleyball head coach.