Kayla Storrs, who has most recently served as the Associate Director of People, Culture, and Belonging for the University of Oklahoma Athletics, has been named the Head of Community Engagement and Wellbeing at Penn. The position is shared between Wellness at Penn and the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics.
Storrs joined Oklahoma Athletics in 2023 where she worked closely with the Associate AD for People, Culture, and Belonging to design and implement strategic initiatives to foster community for more than 360 full-time staff. She also led large-scale programs and professional development opportunities, resulting in a 15% increase in employee participation and strengthened community engagement over the course of one year.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kayla to our Penn Athletics and Recreation team,” Alanna Wren, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W’69 Director of Athletics and Recreation said. “We were compelled by her specific experiences in admissions and recruitment, public health and her work in higher education and also independent schools. Her academic and professional credentials will help Kalya make an immediate impact on both our Division and Wellness at Penn.”
“Kayla brings a dynamic blend of experience and strategic thinking to this role,” says Benoit Dubé, MD, Associate Provost and Chief Wellness Officer, University of Pennsylvania. “Her unique background in both wellness and athletics gives her a powerful lens to view and understand the deep connection between belonging, performance, and wellbeing. We’re thrilled to welcome a leader who so fully embodies the values that guide our work within Wellness at Penn and across the University.”
“I’m really excited to step into this role at Penn,” Storrs said. “This work is personal to me, as I’ve seen how powerful it is when people feel supported, connected, and like they truly belong. I care deeply about community and holistic wellbeing, and I’m looking forward to building intentional spaces where that’s not just a goal, but a lived experience.”
From 2020 to 2023, Kayla Storrs served at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis, where she partnered closely with Human Resources and Senior Leadership to shape inclusive and strategic hiring practices. Prior to that, she spent four years at the University of Oklahoma in the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, where she held roles as an Admissions Counselor and Assistant Director of Diversity Enrichment Programs.
A proud double alumna of the University of Oklahoma, Storrs earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies in 2014. She went on to earn her Master of Public Health from the University of Kentucky in 2016 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Adult and Higher Education at OU. Her research explores parental support of first-generation college students in the college admissions process. In addition to her administrative work, she has taught as an adjunct instructor at OU, UK, and Brebeuf Jesuit. Storrs is also a Gates Millennium Scholar.