Closing Keynote: Cultivating Well-being and Activating Agency

Dr. Stephanie Gordon serves as the vice president for professional development at NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. She joined the Association in 2003 as the director of educational programs. Since then, the Association has doubled in size to more than 15,500 members. She supervises a professional development team at the largest, most comprehensive student affairs association in the United States.

Prior to joining NASPA, Stephanie served as director of residence life and coordinator of first-year programs at Chatham University, assistant director of residence life, staff development, and training at Colgate University, and assistant director of undergraduate admissions at Simmons College. Her research interests focus on student retention, persistence, and readiness to learn. Stephanie also assists student affairs educators in their daily work on campus. She has co-authored a chapter in Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession and authored a chapter in the current edition of The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration. Stephanie received her B.A. in English literature and political science from Simmons College and earned her Ed.M. in higher education administration at Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She recently completed her Doctorate of higher education management at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Monica Nixon brings to NASPA three decades of experience in higher education administration and a commitment to creating student-ready institutions where all students can thrive. Monica serves the non-profit association NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education as Vice President for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, where she leads a team focused on equity, inclusion, and career progression in the association and field. Previously she served in student affairs, DEI, and administrative leadership roles at Saint Joseph’s University, Seattle University, Colgate University, the University of Puget Sound, and the University of Virginia. 

Monica earned her B.A. in English in 1995 and M.Ed. in Counselor Education in 1999 from the University of Virginia. In 2013 she earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Washington, where her dissertation focused on the positionality and agency of women of color chief diversity officers in higher education institutions. Monica co-authored a chapter in the 2012 NASPA-published book Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education and served actively as a member with NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, ACPA – College Student Educators International, and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.