The Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics at Penn hired Sonia Johnson as the head of mental health services and Danika Hoffman as the head sports dietitian.
Prior to joining Penn, Johnson served as the associate director and training coordinator for sport psychology and wellness at the University of Utah. She also worked at its College Counseling Center as a therapist for BIPOC students and has experience holding a support group for athletes of color, showing her commitment to diversity.
Johnson, a licensed counselor in both Utah and Pennsylvania, received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from DePaul University. Johnson also played on the varsity women’s soccer team for all four years, further tying her connection to student-athletes. She holds a Master of Education in Counseling Psychology with a sport psychology concentration from Boston University.
“I’m looking forward to supporting Penn student-athletes as they navigate the various demands of university life and grow personally in and out of sport,” Johnson said. “It will be an honor to lead athletics mental health services and support DRIA’s commitment to ensuring that all student-athletes feel seen, heard, and valued.”
Danika Hoffman’s hire represents Penn Athletics’ growing investment in athlete nutrition and performance. Previously, she held the position of clinical dietitian for three years at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. While working at CHOP, she completed clinical nutrition assessments and created treatment plans for teenagers and young adults, including athletes. Hoffman also served as a registered eating disorder dietitian at the Mainline Center for Eating Disorders, working closely with athletic teams and trainers to ensure athletes have nutritious diets. While there, Hoffman even participated in one-on-one counseling sessions with the teams.
Hoffman received her Bachelor of Science in Health Policy and Administration from Penn State and her Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Drexel University, where she was a graduate student intern at the Drexel University Center for Nutrition and Performance.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Penn Sports Performance team and contributing the mission of holistic student-athlete development,” Hoffman said in a press release. “I look forward to supporting Penn’s student-athletes with evidence-based, approachable nutrition strategies to enhance both performance and overall well-being.”
“Over the past several years, we have invested in the nutrition of our student-athletes by creating a full-time sports dietitian position,” Director of Athletics and Recreation Alanna Wren said in a press release. “The hiring of Danika as the head sports dietitian is the next step in this investment. Her experience at CHOP as well as her time in athletics at our University City neighbor, Drexel, will serve her well as she helps our student-athletes optimize performance through nutrition as we aim to elevate our competitive success in 2025-26 and beyond.”
In June, Penn Athletics announced the hiring of Kayla Storrs as head of community engagement and wellbeing.