University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Faculty Athletics Representative
- Email:
- Phone:
- (319) 273-6083
Dr. Elaine Eshbaugh has been the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative to UNI Athletics since July 2015, serving as the liaison between the university and the athletic department. In her role, she ensures that the academic institution establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics.
A professor of Gerontology, Eshbaugh joined UNI as a faculty member in 2006 and earned full professorship in 2015. She teaches classes such as Psychology of Aging and Families, Alzheimer’s, and Related Dementias. Her research centers on family knowledge of dementia as well as evidence-based strategies for increased empathy and empowerment among dementia caregivers. She has more than 30 research publications in peer-reviewed journals on topics such as gaps in Alzheimer’s knowledge and post-traumatic growth among nursing home employees,
She established and now directs the only Dementia Simulation House in the nation. The Dementia Simulation House at UNI is an innovative hands-on learning experience where individuals learn what it might be like to live with dementia and draws about 1,300 participants each year. Through the Dementia Simulation House and its associated outreach programs, she also oversees a cognitive screening clinic, as well as a dementia caregiver support group.
In her role with the Department of Athletics, Eshbaugh serves as the chair of the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Council as well as the Athletics Compliance Council. She chaired the search committee for UNI’s Director of Athletics in 2024. In addition, she collects and analyzes annual data from student-athletes and is a part of the Board of Administrators at the Missouri Valley Conference.
Eshbaugh received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UNI in 2000 before earning a master’s (2002) and PhD (2005) from Iowa State University. She currently resides in Cedar Falls with her husband William, who is the department head of the Department of Family, Aging and Counseling.
