Forty Under 40: Eric A. Wood

Eric Wood has worked at the UA since 2009, and was promoted to his current role in 2011, tasked primarily with overseeing the Office of Student-Athlete Success, whose main responsibility is to empower student-athletes with guidance, resources and support, developing them both academically and personally.

“We take a holistic approach to helping our student-athletes,” he said.

Before arriving in Fayetteville, Wood, who is also the UA’s Deputy Title IX coordinator, cultivated his passion for mentoring by working in a variety of roles with the Athletic Coast Conference, and the athletic departments of Wake Forest University and the University of New Haven.

At the national level, he is a past chairman of the NCAA Student-Athlete Affairs Advisory Committee, and has facilitated numerous NCAA leadership conferences.

A native of the Bronx, Wood — the first member of his family to attend college — was a cum laude graduate of Sacred Heart University, where he obtained his bachelor’s in psychology. A football player, he was awarded the athletic department’s highest honor, the Medal of Merit, following his senior year.

Wood later earned a master’s in counseling and guidance services from Clemson University in 2000. He is on track to obtain a doctorate next year from the UA.

Wood lives with his wife and three girls in Fayetteville. Raised by a single parent, Wood supports the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas, and also volunteers for both the Special Olympics and The Salvation Army.