CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Queens University of Charlotte Assistant Athletic Director for Communications/ADID Phylicia Short announces the promotion of Austin Slough to Director of Communications. Slough joined the Royals as an assistant director for athletic communications ahead of the 2021-22 season.
 
"Austin has grown into a tremendous leader in our athletic communications department, and his contributions, creativity, and work ethic have aided us enormously across the board in our transition to Division I," Short stated. "He is very deserving of this promotion and I look forward to working alongside him as we continue to create and connect fans while growing families for life."
 
Slough has played an instrumental role in enhancing the Queens Athletics brand and visibility through creative content and graphic design while also assisting in developing the Royals' creative team, graduate assistants, and student interns. During the Royals' inaugural DI season, Slough managed and created social media content for Queens men's basketball, resulting in over 1.4 million impressions across a four-month period. He also developed a strategy for Queens baseball on social media, generating 3.3 million impressions and 134,000 engagements last year, a 7.3% increase in impressions, and a 30% increase in engagements. Prior to the transition, Slough also served as the primary media contact for the 2022 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championship where the Royals won their seventh men's and women's championships.
 
"I'm very thankful and appreciative of the entire Queens Department of Athletics staff, administration, and coaches, specifically Cherie Swarthout, Jeff Dugdale, and Phylicia Short for guiding and developing me into the leader I am today," Slough commented. "The future of Queens Athletics and Queens University is very bright, and I'm thrilled to be at the forefront of this transition as we embark on this journey together."
 
Prior to coming to Queens, Slough was the media relations intern at Villanova. During the internship, he assisted wherever it was needed as the COVID-19 pandemic forced Villanova Athletics to play all 22 sports in the spring season. He served as a contact for baseball, field hockey, and soccer, and was responsible for heading multiple game day events. Additionally, Slough was able to assist in managing the 2020 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championships at Villanova University.
 
Before joining the Wildcats, Slough spent a year at Virginia Commonwealth University as a graduate assistant in their athletic communications office. While at VCU, he served as the primary contact for men's and women's tennis while also assisting with the soccer and basketball programs.
 
A native of Glen Allen, Va., Slough earned his bachelor's degree in communication studies with a minor in leadership from Christopher Newport University where he was a member of the baseball team. After graduation, he went on to receive his master's degree from the VCU Center for Sport Leadership in 2020.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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