University of Houston Athletics
Banjeglav Officially Promoted to Lead Academic Center for Excellence
5/19/2026 9:00:00 AM | General
Former Cougar swimming & diving athlete appointed to head academic success
HOUSTON – University of Houston Athletics Vice President for Athletics Eddie Nuñez has removed the interim tag from Tatjana Bajeglav's title, officially promoting her to Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services.
Banjeglav has climbed the ranks in the Academic Center for Excellence since being hired by her alma mater in 2011. She became assistant director for the Academic Center for Excellence in January 2016 and has then promoted to Interim Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services in December 2025 after serving as Assistant Athletics Director for Academic Services for multiple years.
"I want to sincerely thank Vice President for Athletics Eddie Nuñez for his confidence and support in both me and our staff," Banjeglav said. "It is truly an honor to continue serving the University of Houston in this role, and I look forward to continuing to build on the strong academic culture and success that our student-athletes and Academic Center for Excellence have worked so hard to achieve."
As the Interim, Banjeglav helped steer the ship in academics to a school record 55 Fall Academic All-Big 12 honors and tallying the department's sixth consecutive semester with a 3.0+ term GPA while also helping tally Houston's second-consecutive school record Academic Progress Report score of 992.
"Tatjana has helped lay the foundation of the Academic Center for Excellence in decade plus on staff and also as a student-athlete and is deserving of officially being elevated to lead our academics team," Nuñez said. "She made the ACE team better when in the interim and helped correct and guide the ship towards another successful semester in the classroom."
The former Coog oversees the Dominic and Ellen Ng Academic Center for Excellence which includes academic advisors, learning specialists, tutors and student-athlete development supporting Houston Student-Athletes during their time at Houston.
In the later role, she works closely with the Football program, providing information and advice to current and prospective student-athletes regarding University academic programs and curriculums and analyzing degree plans and graduation applications.
Banjeglav – whose name is pronounced Taht-yah-nuh Ban-juh-glove – first worked with the Cougars as an academic learning specialist in January 2011.
During her time at UH, she worked in a variety of roles, serving internships with the strength and conditioning staff and the associate athletics director for sports programs during the 2006-07 school year.
Banjeglav, who hails from Toronto, Ontario, also worked as a sales executive with the Karen Brown Insurance Group in Houston for three years before joining the Athletics Department in 2011 on a full-time basis.
She received her bachelor's degree in kinesiology-sports administration with a minor in health in 2007 from UH and earned her master's degree in human resource development in 2010 from the University.
As an undergraduate with the Cougars, Banjeglav was a four-year letterwinner for the Swimming and Diving program from 2007 to 2011 and served as team captain as a senior.
She was named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for four years and received the Robert L. Grainger Outstanding Leadership Award in 2006 and served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of University of Houston Athletics by providing NIL opportunities and by joining Cougar Pride which provides financial support for student-athlete scholarships and priority needs of the Athletics Department.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougars on X, formerly Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at HoustonAthletics or on the team's Instagram page at houstoncougars.
Banjeglav has climbed the ranks in the Academic Center for Excellence since being hired by her alma mater in 2011. She became assistant director for the Academic Center for Excellence in January 2016 and has then promoted to Interim Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services in December 2025 after serving as Assistant Athletics Director for Academic Services for multiple years.
"I want to sincerely thank Vice President for Athletics Eddie Nuñez for his confidence and support in both me and our staff," Banjeglav said. "It is truly an honor to continue serving the University of Houston in this role, and I look forward to continuing to build on the strong academic culture and success that our student-athletes and Academic Center for Excellence have worked so hard to achieve."
As the Interim, Banjeglav helped steer the ship in academics to a school record 55 Fall Academic All-Big 12 honors and tallying the department's sixth consecutive semester with a 3.0+ term GPA while also helping tally Houston's second-consecutive school record Academic Progress Report score of 992.
"Tatjana has helped lay the foundation of the Academic Center for Excellence in decade plus on staff and also as a student-athlete and is deserving of officially being elevated to lead our academics team," Nuñez said. "She made the ACE team better when in the interim and helped correct and guide the ship towards another successful semester in the classroom."
The former Coog oversees the Dominic and Ellen Ng Academic Center for Excellence which includes academic advisors, learning specialists, tutors and student-athlete development supporting Houston Student-Athletes during their time at Houston.
In the later role, she works closely with the Football program, providing information and advice to current and prospective student-athletes regarding University academic programs and curriculums and analyzing degree plans and graduation applications.
Banjeglav – whose name is pronounced Taht-yah-nuh Ban-juh-glove – first worked with the Cougars as an academic learning specialist in January 2011.
During her time at UH, she worked in a variety of roles, serving internships with the strength and conditioning staff and the associate athletics director for sports programs during the 2006-07 school year.
Banjeglav, who hails from Toronto, Ontario, also worked as a sales executive with the Karen Brown Insurance Group in Houston for three years before joining the Athletics Department in 2011 on a full-time basis.
She received her bachelor's degree in kinesiology-sports administration with a minor in health in 2007 from UH and earned her master's degree in human resource development in 2010 from the University.
As an undergraduate with the Cougars, Banjeglav was a four-year letterwinner for the Swimming and Diving program from 2007 to 2011 and served as team captain as a senior.
She was named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for four years and received the Robert L. Grainger Outstanding Leadership Award in 2006 and served as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of University of Houston Athletics by providing NIL opportunities and by joining Cougar Pride which provides financial support for student-athlete scholarships and priority needs of the Athletics Department.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougars on X, formerly Twitter, and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at HoustonAthletics or on the team's Instagram page at houstoncougars.
– UHCougars.com –
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