The Student Life Summit is an annual on-campus conference that explores emerging trends in student affairs.
The Student Life Summit is a professional development opportunity that focuses on a different issue in higher education each year. The summit consists of a visiting keynote speaker and breakout sessions hosted by staff from the Division of Student Life. Colleagues from across campus are invited to attend.
Student Life Summit 2025: Shaping the Future: Taking the Student Experience to the Next Level
Key Focus Areas
-
Innovation: Highlight the ways your work or field has evolved, driving progress and creating new opportunities for students.
-
Resilience: Celebrate how the core values of student affairs have persisted amidst challenges. Share how you’ve fostered resilience in your work and in the students you serve.
-
Adaptability: Reflect on how you’ve transformed your work to meet the changing needs of students and embraced opportunities for growth in a dynamic environment.
2025 Student Life Summit Keynote Speaker
Kevin Kruger draws on more than 45 years of experience in higher education. From 2012-2024, he served as president and CEO for NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
Prior to his role as president, Kruger worked for 18 years as the associate executive director and served as the chief operating officer and chief financial officer for NASPA. He has held a range of student affairs positions at Southern Methodist University and the University of Maryland. As NASPA president, Kruger represented student affairs at a variety of national forums and was a frequent contributor to higher education news stories on the college student experience.
Kruger has published and presented nationally on trends in higher education, student success, degree-completion strategies for low-income/first generation students, technology, and change management and leadership in higher education. He is the proud father of two children, a 24-year-old daughter working in the bio-engineering field and a 26-year-old son working as a software engineer.
Previous Student Life Keynote Speakers
Jane Miller
Jane Miller was responsible for creating a high-performing culture that drove customer experience, employee engagement, and financial outcomes for sustainable growth. As president and chief operating officer, Jane oversaw the worldwide operations of Gallup. She ensured all systems, resources and — most importantly — people were placed and aligned to achieve the goals of the organization.
Stephen Shields
Stephen Shields, a senior consultant at Gallup for more than 10 years, works with organizations to optimize their human capital. He consults with clients on leadership, employee culture, customer interactions, targeted hiring and talent development. Stephen provides practical insights and timely interventions that facilitate learning, execution and accountability.
Josie Ahlquist
Josie Ahlquist has trained thousands of professionals and students around the globe on how to thrive online and in life. As a speaker, researcher, and author on digital leadership she takes a personal approach to transform how we view technology through the lens of empathy and empowerment that will result in stronger companies, communities, schools, and future leaders.
Josie received her EdD from California Lutheran University doctoral program, studying higher education leadership. She is an alumna of Northern Arizona University with a Masters’s degree in Counseling and holds undergraduate degrees from South Dakota State University, where she double-majored in Sociology and Human Development and Family Studies.
She is very attuned to the landscape of higher education and is passionate about developing the leadership capacity of college students, as well as administrators. She brings over a decade of experience in the field of higher education in areas such as student activities, campus recreation, student unions, marketing, residence life, judicial affairs, student leadership, and new student orientation. Josie currently serves as a research associate and leadership instructor with Florida State University teaching undergraduate, master and doctoral level courses.