Lisa L. Kirkpatrick, Ph.D., is Vice President for Student Affairs and Administration at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. She reports to the university president and serves on the president’s cabinet while providing supervision to associate vice presidents of Student Affairs, University Operations, Business Services and Equity and Employee Relations as well as Dean of Students, and directors of Athletics, Student Belonging and Inclusive Excellence, and Human Resources. Additional areas in her portfolio include Residence Life, Student Involvement, Health and Counseling Center, Recreation and Wellness, University Police and Facilities. She also currently serves as the Title IX Coordinator, since 2012. Previously, she served as Vice President for Student Affairs, Associate Vice President role and Dean of Students, with a total of more than 30 years on the hilltop.
In her current position, Dr. Kirkpatrick provides oversight to the university’s Crisis Management Team, Behavioral Intervention Team, Bias Incident Response Team and Title IX Team. She also facilitates university workgroups in service of undocumented students and allies, food insecurity and space management among others.
Dr. Kirkpatrick has been actively involved in campus housing expansion and renovation projects, including the development of six new residence halls and three apartment communities; and the renovation of Fleck Hall for Health Sciences. She meets regularly with students and staff, engaged in strategic planning in connection with multiple St. Edward’s Strategic Plans, Investing for Our Future initiative and Student Success Initiative. She also led a Student Affairs staff development initiative to prepare staff to serve in their practitioner roles in a Catholic Higher Education (CHE) context and has presented the staff development model at national CHE conferences, including those sponsored by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) and the Association of Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASACCU).
Inspired by St. Edward’s founding order, the Congregation of Holy Cross, Dr. Kirkpatrick has maintained a student-centered approach and ethic of care for students and their families, staff and faculty, that inspire students to thrive, overcome adversity, and give back to their communities, graduating with the intention of making a positive difference in the world. Her leadership fosters inclusion, agency, connectedness and enthusiasm while building community and engaging staff, faculty and students in campus wide initiatives. She also serves as chair of the Board of Governors of the Holy Cross Institute since September of 2022.
Dr. Kirkpatrick earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism/Public Relations in 1991 and Master of Education/College Student Personnel in 1994, both from The Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. She successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, "Elders in Assisted Living: Excavating Hospitality from Within," on March 12, 2015, earning her Ph.D. in Education from Texas State University. She is a 2019 graduate of the ACPA Institute Leading with a Racial and Social Justice Lens, as well as Austin’s Beyond Diversity I and II, 2015 graduate of the Council for Independent College’s Senior Leadership Academy, 2009 graduate of Leadership Austin and 2006 graduate of Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education. She served as a visiting faculty member for two summers at the University of San Diego Catholic Mission Integration Institute and is an adjunct instructor for the St. Edward’s University online Doctorate of Education of Leadership and Higher Education, as well as Master of Education in Student Affairs in Higher Education at Texas State University.
As a student development practitioner in CHE, Dr. Kirkpatrick’s scholarship focuses on how Catholic character, mission and social thought inform the college student experience and work of student development practitioners. She co-edited Student Life in Catholic Higher Education: Advancing Good Practice (2017), as well as serving as a chapter author. She also chaired the planning committee for the ACCU senior student affairs officer annual meeting for 2019 and 2020, and currently serves as an ASACCU board member. As a student affairs administrator, she presents on a number of topics related to leadership, diversity, spirituality, Catholic hospitality, co-curriculum and feminism.
She is also trained in dispute resolution from the Dispute Resolution Center in Austin, Texas; a graduate of the Landmark Forum and Advanced Course; trained as a facilitator for interfaith dialogue sponsored by Interfaith Action of Central Texas (IACT); trained as a Title IX coordinator by ATIXA, Husch Blackwell LLP, Grand River Solutions and Schneider Education and Employment Law PLLC; serves on the Catholic Cemetery Association Board and previously served on the St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School Advisory Board, St. David’s South Austin Hospital Board and San Leanna Education Facilities Corporation.