Ryan McDuff

Classroom

McDuff has a dual concentration in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Organizations; Political Science. He is a head teaching assistant for both Management of Industrial and Nonprofit Organizations and also Managerial Decision Making. McDuff is also works with a University professor to help advise a group of Brown freshman students to help create a balanced course workload, provide access to University resources and help ease the transition from high school to college as a Meiklejohn Peer Advisor.

Character

McDuff’s leadership skills are invaluable, whether its working with children, advising teammates and other Brown students, and giving back to the community.  He helped found and develop a Leadership Program for the Varsity Captains at Brown University where they discuss and learn about the obstacles that each may face, the characteristics of a great leader and how to develop leaders around the captains.  He has worked to expand the Student-Athlete Faculty Relationship Program, a program that his team uses, to the entire Athletic Department.  He was instrumental in working to reunite the student-athlete population after the announcement that four varsity athletic teams faced elimination (a decision that was later overturned).  McDuff serves as the Director of Business Operations for Brown Sports Business, an organization aimed to broaden the knowledge of students with a passion for sports and an interest in business about the career possibilities in the Sports Business Industry.  He is the student-athlete representative on Brown Subcommittees on Athletics and Recreation, as well as Alcohol and other Drugs.

Community

McDuff may be one of the most involved student-athletes at Brown University.  He volunteers at Project GOAL, an organization focused on developing Rhode Island’s disadvantaged youth through after-school tutoring and soccer related programs, and he works with Team Impact, to match children facing life-threatening diseases by matching them with Brown athletic teams.  He established the Bruno Relays, an event that aimed to unite the student-athlete population, but more important raise money for PLAN RI, an organization that assists families who have relatives with disabilities.  He frequently works with the Providence Boys & Girls Club to create a program that has Brown student-athletes interact with and help mentor youth from diverse or difficult situations.  A regular Vartan Gregorian Elementary School volunteer, he has spoken to all the students at Vartan Gregorian at SAAC’s Fox Point Kickoff Event about the importance of trying one’s best in school and treating everyone with respect.  McDuff helped organize and volunteered at Providence Plays, an event run by SAAC that brings over 100 Providence youths to Brown’s campus where they interact with Brown student-athletes, and learn the value of teamwork and living an active life and also volunteers at Kick Butt Day, an event that brings Brown soccer players to Providence schools to speak about the dangers of tobacco.

Competition

This past season, McDuff played in every minute of all 20 games for the Brown men’s soccer team. The defender helped the team to its second straight season of 11 shutouts, which tied the school record, and helped the Bears to its second Brown Soccer Classic title and was named the Defensive MVP of the tournament.  Brown’s strongest defender, McDuff guided his team to an Ivy League Championship in 2011, as the Bears advanced to the Round of 16 for the second consecutive year.  He also started in every game during his sophomore year and in his three years playing, he has helped his team to three NCAA Tournament appearances in those years.