Dr. Dahan Axson-Lawrence joined George Mason Athletics on June 2, 2025 as the department’s Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development. With more than a decade of experience in higher education and student-athlete development, Dr. Axson-Lawrence is deeply rooted commitment to holistic student success, inclusive excellence, and leadership development.
Axson-Lawrence joins George Mason from the University of Virginia (UVA), where he held multiple leadership roles in student affairs and athletics. Most recently, he served as Assistant Director of Multicultural Student Services, overseeing initiatives focused on academic performance, personal development, and intercultural engagement. He also taught as an adjunct professor in UVA’s School of Education and Human Development, focusing his research on the experiences of Black male student-athletes at Predominantly White Institutions.
In 2019, he transitioned to UVA Athletics as an Academic Coordinator and Advisor of Affinity Groups. There, he supported student-athletes across several teams — including rowing, men’s track and field, men’s golf, women’s field hockey, and football — guiding them to record-high GPAs and increased academic honors. He also led efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion as co-chair of the department’s Inclusive Excellence Committee and represented UVA on the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Committee on Racial and Social Justice.
Dr. Axson-Lawrence’s career in student-athlete support began at the University of Georgia, with subsequent roles at Duke University and UVA. His experience spans academic coordination, mentoring, residence life, and multicultural engagement. Across each role, he has championed student-centered strategies that emphasize community, leadership, and academic achievement.
Dr. Axson-Lawrence is actively engaged in professional associations that align with his commitment to student success and leadership in collegiate athletics. He currently serves as Vice President of Professional Development for the Southern Association of College Student Affairs (SACSA) and previously sat on its Executive Council. A member of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), he was recognized as a 2024 MOAA Rising Star and now mentors emerging professionals through the MOAA Rising Stars Committee.
He holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education from the University of Virginia, a Master of Science in Sports Management and Policy from the University of Georgia, a Master of Education in Counseling from the University of West Georgia, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from South Carolina State University. As a student-athlete at South Carolina State, he competed in Track and Field from 2007–2011 and earned multiple honors for academic and athletic excellence.
