April 3, 1998
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke announced today (April 3, 1998) the appointments of Joni Comstock and Dick Walbaum to the position of senior associate athletic director, effective April 1.
"I am pleased to appoint Joni and Dick as senior associates," Burke said. "Both have made significant leadership contributions to our effort to improve the overall performance of the entire athletic department. They are clearly viewed, internally and externally, as senior performers in their respective fields."
Comstock came to Purdue in 1989 as assistant athletic director and was promoted to associate in August of 1992. She oversees nine sports programs (baseball, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, women's soccer, volleyball and women's basketball) and has administrative responsibilities for the athletic department's medical services. She was instrumental in the addition of softball and women's soccer as varsity sports.
Previously, Comstock worked at Illinois (1984-89) and Lincoln College (1979-84). She earned her bachelor's degree in health/physical education from Eastern Illinois in 1979, her master's in educational administration from Illinois State in 1981 and her doctorate in administration of higher education from Illinois in 1988.
Walbaum joined the athletic department as assistant athletic director in charge of fund raising in 1984 and was promoted to associate (with expanded responsibilities for promotions, marketing and development) in January of 1996. He served as director of the John Purdue Club - the source of athletic scholarships and academic support services - from 1984-93. Walbaum is accountable for the department's marketing and development plans, which are focused on increasing the John Purdue Club in both members and dollars, plus building upon current marketing and advertising efforts and developing additional revenue opportunities to support a broad base nationally-prominent athletic organization.
Walbaum has been at Purdue for 33 years, serving as assistant intramural director at the Recreational Gymnasium (1964-67) and spending 17 years in the Krannert School of Management as director of undergraduate counseling services (1967-72), assistant dean for undergraduate administration (1972-76) and assistant dean for administration (1976-84). He earned his master's degree from Purdue in 1967 after earning his bachelor's degree from Illinois.