Caitlyn Prandato has played an integral role in the Harvard athletic department since August 2009, and was named Associate Director of Athletics in June of 2021 after serving as the Crimson’s Assistant Director of Athletics.
In her role, Prandato is heavily involved in a variety of areas, ranging from events management to admissions, while supervising Harvard’s field hockey, women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s alpine and nordic skiing programs.
A graduate of Boston College, Prandato is responsible for the game operations of Harvard’s 42 varsity sports, including the leadership of its operations and events staff, for developing the department’s team travel and contest management budgets, and for the creation, distribution and execution of competition contracts for all home contests.
Prandato also oversees the admissions and recruitment process, acting as a liaison with the university’s admission office, and provides oversight for the scheduling and allocation of Harvard’s facilities usage for all events (athletic and non-athletic). She is also the direct report for the Crimson’s travel and operations coordinator, event and scheduling coordinator, and operations interns.
In addition to her current job responsibilities, which also includes working to establish an applicant pool for programs that reflect the socioeconomic and ethnic diversity of the Harvard undergraduate population, Prandato has been a key member of the Harvard community, serving as a first-year proctor since August 2015. Residing in a first-year dormitory and providing guidance to university first-years, Prandato is also an official academic adviser and participates in the Harvard Yard community.
Prior to being elevated to her current athletic department position in August 2013, Prandato served as Harvard’s travel and operations coordinator from September 2010-July 2013. During her nearly three-year stint, Prandato oversaw all aspects of team travel, including transportation, lodging and per diem, coordinated facility schedules, and managed budget-related items pertaining to team travel, facilities, outside rentals and payment of game officials.
Prandato first arrived in Cambridge for the 2009-10 academic year as an athletic events intern, assisting with contest management and coordinating rental requests, contracts and invoices with outside groups and visiting teams.
Prandato received her bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from Boston College in 2008, and was a member of the varsity field hockey team. After a successful run in Chestnut Hill, Prandato obtained her master’s degree in sport management from in UMass Amherst in 2009. It was in western Massachusetts where Prandato began her athletic administration career, serving as a graduate assistant in the Minutemen’s media relations office for the 2008-09 campaign.
A recipient of the 2020 University of Massachusetts Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management Alumni on the Rise Award, Prandato and her husband, John, live in Harvard Yard with their daughter.
