Dr. Leveda Birdwell moved into her current role as assistant athletic director for academics and student-athlete welfare in July 2018. Prior to her current role, she served as senior academic advisor working with Dr. Lance Jasitt, after serving for four years as director of corporate sales and marketing for the Tennessee Tech Athletics Department.

A two-time graduate of Tech with bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Birdwell, has become a familiar face within the Athletics Department. She has spent time serving in both academic and administrative roles. Prior to serving as the director of corporate sales and marketing, she worked as an athletic academic coordinator for all Tennessee Tech student-athletes. She served in that role after working for two years as a graduate assistant in the corporate sales and marketing department.

In her current position, Birdwell works with all Tennessee Tech student-athletes, but closely assists the men's and women’s basketball, men's and women’s golf, and tennis teams at excelling in the classroom. She works in the management of Tech’s student-athlete records, assists in monitoring eligibility with NCAA standards, and provides support and the needed resources that help moves Tech’s student-athletes toward the ultimate goal of graduation. Birdwell also meets with many prospective student-athletes looking to continue their academic and athletic career at Tennessee Tech.

In Birdwell’s prior role, she oversaw the Athletics Department's corporate sales program, including arena and stadium signage, program advertising, game sponsorships, website sponsorships as well as other sponsorship opportunities. She also directed Tech’s season ticket sales campaigns along with the marketing and promotions efforts for the university's 14 Division I sports programs.

A native of Red Boiling Springs, Tenn., Birdwell received her bachelor of science in business administration with a focus on marketing in 2008, she began a two-year graduate assistant position in the corporate sales and marketing department, where her responsibilities included sales, organizing the official football tailgate events, booking halftime entertainment at basketball games, and a variety of other duties. She received her MBA in business management in May 2010.

Birdwell most recently graduated with her doctorate of education in global sports leadership from East Tennessee State University.

Leveda serves on the TSSAA Football State Championship Steering Committee and Cookeville’s CityScape Executive Board of Directors and is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics.