Closing Keynote: Cultivating Well-being and Activating Agency

Stephanie A. Gordon, Ed.D. is the Vice President for Strategy and Impact at NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, where she leads efforts in VPSA programs, corporate development, global impact, consulting programs, and strategic planning. Since joining NASPA in 2003, she has held key leadership roles, shaping professional development and advancing strategic priorities.

Before NASPA, Gordon held leadership positions in residence life, first-year programs, and admissions at Chatham University, Colgate University, and Simmons College. Her research focuses on the competencies of chief student affairs officers and the persistence of first-generation students. She is also a published author in the student affairs field.

Gordon holds an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania, an EdM from Harvard University, and a BA from Simmons College. She is mom to Benjamin, a joyful 5-year-old, and Sadie, a spirited Queen Elizabeth Pocket Beagle.

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 Community, Access & Professional Pathways. 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.