Monica Nixon Named NASPA Assistant Vice President for Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice

Dr. Monica L. Nixon will join the NASPA professional staff as the new Assistant Vice President for Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice on July 25, 2018. NASPA created this new AVP position and department within the association to focus on equity and inclusion – with a particular dedication to civic engagement and social justice. “We are so pleased to welcome Monica to the NASPA team which has long focused its work on diversity, equity, and inclusion” shared Kevin Kruger, NASPA president. “The Association’s commitment to supporting our members and, ultimately, the success of the students we serve, will be bolstered by Monica’s expertise and our new organizational structure.” 

With more than two decades of experience in higher education, Monica has contributed to building inclusive excellence on campuses; developed new positions and programs; researched, published, and presented on a range of inclusion-related topics; and served national organizations in a variety of leadership capacities. In her work as a chief diversity and inclusion officer, senior student affairs leader, and multicultural affairs educator, she has focused on fostering a sense of belonging on campuses and on structural integration of inclusion and equity in all areas of institutional decision-making. 

Monica shared her excitement about beginning her new position, “NASPA has served as a professional home for me, and I am thrilled to be a part of our continuing commitment to build a vibrant Association with a climate of engagement and action at all levels. The creation of this role comes in the midst of national and international dialogue, debate, and activism regarding White supremacy, sexual violence, the value of Black and Brown lives, religious fundamentalism, immigration and refugees, devaluation of the media and expertise, polarized politics, and so much more. As student affairs professionals, we must respond with courage and commitment to create sustainable change.” 

Monica received a B.A. in English in 1995 and a M.Ed. in Counselor Education in 1999 from the University of Virginia, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in 2013 from the University of Washington. Her dissertation focused on the positionality and agency of women of color chief diversity officers in higher education institutions; an article about this research was published in 2016 in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. Monica also coauthored a chapter in the 2012 NASPA-published book Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education and has held numerous leadership roles in NASPA and ACPA.