L&C President Awarded Top Student Affairs Leadership Honor

President Robin Holmes-Sullivan was honored with a “Pillar of the Profession” award for her distinction in the student life field.
Credit: Nina Johnson

President Robin Holmes-Sullivan was honored with a “Pillar of the Profession” award at the April 4 annual meeting of the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), joining a small group of members named to the Pillars of the Profession Class of 2023. Recipients of the award are individuals who have demonstrated distinction in their field and made a lasting impact on the institutions where they have worked. The awardees are selected by the NASPA Foundation through a nomination process.

“It’s gratifying to be recognized by the NASPA community for my accomplishments and contributions to the profession,” said Holmes-Sullivan. “It’s a particularly proud moment for me as I apply my knowledge and leadership to my work as president of Lewis & Clark, where we are doubling down on our commitment to foster an environment of support, belonging, and community in which every student can thrive.”

President Holmes-Sullivan at the NASPA Awards Celebration on April 4, 2023.Holmes-Sullivan began her tenure as president of Lewis & Clark in July 2022, after three years as L&C’s vice president for student life and dean of students. She has been credited for her pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic in devising creative approaches that helped keep students safe and progressing toward their degrees. Her leadership on campus engagement efforts to enhance the student experience at L&C has led to a revitalization of the student center, a signature project of Lewis & Clark’s current $155 million fundraising campaign. She has also secured funding to support the First-Year Experience, an effort to strengthen and enhance students’ critical entry into college.

(Left to right) Diana Pacheco BA ’22, MA ’24; President Robin Holmes-Sullivan; and Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Evette Castillo-ClarkHolmes-Sullivan has been an active member of NASPA for more than 30 years, previously serving on the organization’s board and, more recently, on the task force that produced “The Compass Report: Charting the Future of Student Affairs,” which focuses on the future of student affairs, released in March 2022. She spoke at the 2023 NASPA AVP Symposium earlier this year.

Previously, Holmes-Sullivan served as vice president of students affairs for the University of California system and spent 25 years at the University of Oregon, working her way up from a position as a clinical coordinator in the counseling center to vice president of student life.

Office of the President Student Affairs Leadership