Ashley Shells has been hired as the University of Northern Iowa's Director of Athletics Compliance, as announced by Director of Athletics Troy Dannen.

Shells is a native of Spartanburg, S.C., and arrives in Cedar Falls following four years of compliance experience at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. Shells served as the Salukis' NCAA Compliance Coordinator from July 2010 to August 2012. During the 2010-11 academic year, Shells was the recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference Diversity Grant to attend the NCAA Women's Leadership Symposium in San Antonio, Texas.

"My experience as the NCAA Compliance Coordinator at Southern Illinois has provided me with a thorough understanding of the details involved in the field," Shells said. "I am now ready to face new challenges as I take on the execution of diverse administration tasks. I am genuinely interested in working in an environment where I am serving students and helping them toward graduation. Having a good university experience is also a top priority."

Shells was an intern in the compliance office in the spring of 2009 before filling the role of graduate assistant in the financial aid/compliance office for the 2009-10 academic year. Shells started as a volunteer in the compliance office while studying for her master's degree in kinesiology specializing in sport administration. In May 2010, Shells received her master's degree in kinesiology from SIU.

Shells was a four-year team captain on the Claflin University volleyball team located in Orangeburg, S.C. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Claflin in 2008, with her bachelor's degree in sport management.

Shells is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA).