A Higher Education

Lisa Igram is currently the Interim Vice President and Dean of Student Wellness in the division of Student Development at Biola University in La Mirada, California. She is also in the midst of a PhD program of Divinity and Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen. In this uplifting conversation, Lisa tells us about how her work is driven by her deep and broad-spanning passions, but also how she is able to "keep the wheels on" during institutional seasons of need. In her Dean role, Lisa has been able to drive the conversation of wholistic wellness at Biola in new ways, although she readily admits that her interim Vice President role often takes her attention away from innovation in that area. Lisa unpacks hot topics of work engagement, self-care, and institutional loyalty through her unique multi-disciplinary approach and clear authentic care for her students and peers.

Katie Garrett is currently the Assistant Director of Programming at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this episode, Katie tells us stories of her time spent in multiple roles at different types of institutions. She discusses how her passion for and education in spiritual formation paired with her rich experience in camp ministry and Christian higher education is benefitting her role now at a non-faith based institution.

What is A Higher Education podcast? And why re-launch it after some time off? Dr. Mark Muha, Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students at Trinity International University, along with Kara Martin, Associate Director of Residence Life at George Fox University, introduce themselves as co-hosts and answer why a podcast through the ACSD could be helpful to student development professionals.