UNMC’s 2020-21 Breakthrough Thinking Conference Series will conclude with Zoom presentations on April 7.
The April 7 event will be from 10 a.m.-noon and will feature:
- Kevin Kruger, PhD, of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, discussing “How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Shaping the Short and Long-term Future of Student Affairs”; and
- Timothy Renick, PhD, of Georgia State University, discussing “Eliminating Equity Gaps Through Data and Analytics.”
Dr. Kruger draws on more than 40 years of experience in higher education. Since 2012, he has served as president and CEO for NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Prior to his role as president, Dr. 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, Dr. Kruger represents student affairs at a variety of national forums and is a frequent contributor to higher education news stories on the college student experience. Dr. Kruger has published and presented nationally and globally on trends in higher education, student success, degree-completion strategies for low-income/first-generation students, and change management and leadership in higher education. He is the proud father of two children, one a recent college graduate and the other a college sophomore. Dr. Kruger received his MA and PhD in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Renick is the founding executive director of the National Institute for Student Success and professor of religious studies at Georgia State University. Between 2008-2020, he directed the student success efforts of the university, overseeing a 62% improvement in graduation rates and the elimination of all equity gaps based on students’ race, ethnicity or income level. For six consecutive years, Georgia State has graduated more African American students with bachelor’s degrees than any other not-for-profit college or university in the nation. Dr. Renick has testified on strategies for helping university students succeed before the U.S. Senate and has twice been invited to speak at the White House. His work has been covered by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time, and CNN and cited by former President Barack Obama. He was named one of the Most Innovative People in Higher Education by Washington Monthly, was the recipient of the Award for National Leadership in Student Success Innovation and was awarded the 2018 McGraw Prize in Higher Education. He has been principal investigator for more than $30 million in research grants focused on promoting better and more equitable outcomes for college students. At Georgia State, he has served as chair of the department of religious studies, director of the honors program and senior vice president. A summa cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, Dr. Renick holds his MA and PhD in religion from Princeton University.
Join the webinar here.