Our expert speakers bring extensive experience in student wellness, leadership, and resilience. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by residential communities, they will offer practical insights on balancing work-life boundaries, motivating student staff through coaching, navigating trauma on-call, fostering belonging, and leveraging lived-in experience for career advancement in higher education.
Keynote Speaker
Melanie Bullock Harris
Melanie Bullock is a higher education administrator committed to developing people who will in turn transform their organizations, their communities, and the world. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Spelman College and her Master of Education degree in College Student Personnel Administration from James Madison University. In her career, Melanie has developed teams to plan diverse events and programs. She’s provided leadership for various departments, offices, and teams that include Leadership Engagement programs, Student Organizations, First-Year Experience programming, Student Government, Alternative Break experiences, and multiple programming boards.
Melanie currently serves as the Director for the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement at American University. In her role, she leads the strategic development and delivery of campus and community wide, inclusive community engagement, service, and leadership programs that enhances the student experience, and supports the university’s commitment to experiential learning. Beyond her immediate role, Melanie serves as a volunteer for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and an Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance Advocate Leader.
Session: Meeting the Moment and Finding Joy
Find light and embrace joy in every moment. Remember why we do what we do and what we love about the work we do.
Educational Session Speakers
Senior Director of Residence Life and
Housing,
Baldwin Wallace University
College Provost and Vice President –
Academic Affairs,
Valencia College.
Resident Director,
Occidental College
.
Community Director,
California State University, Northridge
.
House Advisor,
Vassar College
.
Assistant Director of Residential
Education,
University of South Florida St. Petersburg
Area coordinator for first year,
all gender, honor living learning
communities, Hiram College
Residence Life Coordinator,
University of North Florida
.
Director of residential life,
Pace University’s NYC campus
.