INDIANAPOLIS, In. – Wilkes Men's Wrestling Associate Head Coach Pankil Chander '17 has been appointed to serve on the newly formed NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact.

"It's a great responsibility to serve on one of only a few association-wide committees that includes representatives from all three NCAA Divisions," Chander said.

Chander is one of 25 members who were selected to serve on the committee and has served as Wilkes' athletics diversity and inclusion designee (ADID) since returning to his alma mater as a coach in 2024. He also attended the 2025 NCAA Division III Institute for Administrative Advancement held from June 6-8, 2025, which seeks to provide professional development and networking opportunities for administrators from under-represented populations in Division III athletics.

The committee comes as a consolidation of four groups – the Committee on Women's Athletics, Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, Board of Governors Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity, and the Gender Equity Task Force – into a single entity aimed at improving efficiency and maximizing impact.

The new committee will focus on creating equitable and inclusive experiences for student-athletes at championships and across college sports, advising on related NCAA policies and supporting increased participation and leadership opportunities for student-athletes from underrepresented communities.

The committee is set to begin meeting this fall.

Chander was a four-year member of the Wilkes men's wrestling team from 2013-2017 and returned to Wilkes in 2024 after two years as the head wrestling coach at Penn College. He also spent time as an assistant coach at both Springfield College and Gettysburg College following his career on the mat as a Colonel.