Nancy Hamant dedicated her entire adult life and career to the University of Cincinnati.
Hamant spent more than four decades mentoring UC students and preparing the university's student-athletes for life beyond the season.
On Thursday, Hamant died. She was 85.
The entire fifth floor of UC's Richard E. Lindner Center makes up the Nancy Hamant Academic Center. The facility houses a large study room with 34 work areas, 14 tutor rooms, five group meeting rooms and a computer lab with 71 workstations.
Hamant's portrait hangs on a wall of the center, which was named in her honor on Aug. 3, 2006.
"Dr. Nancy Hamant's influence on the university, department of athletics and the field of education as a whole cannot be measured," said Dr. Joe Luckey, UC's senior associate AD of student-athlete support services. "Her presence was found in so many places in her support of student-athlete academics."
Hamant earned three degrees from UC, a bachelor's in Arts and Sciences in 1957, a master's in Education in 1961 and a PhD from the College of Education in 1967.
Hamant joined the UC faculty in 1964 as an associate professor and was a coordinator of professional experiences in the College of Education. She also served as a member of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, Athletics Policy and Planning Committee and was a liaison with the NCAA.
Each academic year, a UC man and woman student-athlete in their final year of athletic eligibility are honored with the Nancy Hamant Scholar-Athlete Award. Winners are recognized for having the highest cumulative grade-point average among all graduating student-athletes.
Kim Geiger was named the 2008-09 Nancy Hamant Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Geiger, who is now the owner of the Maker Marketing firm and the chief digital officer of Edoc Service, was a multiyear captain of the UC women's soccer team and earned a degree in journalism.
"Being the recipient of an award bearing Nancy Hamant's name is an honor," Geiger told The Enquirer. "Nancy was an icon who loved the University of Cincinnati. She was deeply committed to academics and to helping student-athletes become authentic leaders, both off the field and on the field."
Hamant spent 43 years preparing UC students for future teaching careers and placed thousands of students in teaching positions.
Hamant was honored with the UC Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1982, the UC Foundation Trustee Award in 1998 and was named Faculty Member of the Year in 2001 by the UC Alumni Association.
Hamant was awarded UC’s Faculty Senate University Service Award in 2006. And in 2010, she was awarded the William Howard Taft Medal, the UC Alumni Association’s premier honor.
Hamant served as UC’s NCAA faculty athletics representative from 1986 until she retired in 2007.
"She was someone who always gave everything she had, and it's rewarding to see the lasting influence she has had on student-athletes and the university as a whole," Geiger said.
Hamant was inducted into the UCATS Order of the Black Blazer in 1996 and the UC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.