Ellie Owen, Editor-in-Chief–
Dr. Alex Miller, Vice President of Student Life, never came to Denison thinking he’d stay forever.
“I don’t put years to things,” he said. “I always let my life speak, that’s how I ended up here at Denison.”
He came to Denison at the start of the 2020-2021 school year from Harvard University, where he was the Dean for Student Engagement and Acting Associate Dean of Students for Inclusion and Belonging. And he’s had a long career in higher education before Harvard, working at The University of Chicago, DePaul University, Tulane University, Syracuse University and Michigan State University.
But now his time here has come to a close. Miller recently accepted the position of Vice President of Student Affairs at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Washington and Lee is another small liberal arts college, with a population of approximately 1,860 undergraduate students.
“Broadly speaking one of my greatest accomplishments has been professionalizing and modernizing student life at Denison,” Miller said.
While working in Student Life, he’s focused on building community and bettering life for Denison students. A big portion of Miller’s work has been centered around Denison Forward and Denison’s Student Life Strategic Plan.
“Our strategic plan has modernized the student experience in ways that have only made positive impacts on students,” said Miller.
The Student Life Strategic Plan seeks to improve student life through its five core areas: illuminating pathways for students, fostering a sense of belonging & inclusion, empowering students to manage their well-being, building connection & community, and a divisional professional culture of innovation & excellence.
Miller also helped to lay the foundation for Denison Forward. Denison Forward is Denison’s committee created as a “commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Antiracism,” according to the official policy. He led the committee in year one and now has taken a step back as it’s become a more stabilized presence on campus.
“COVID brought about, In my opinion, decades worth of change for our division in four years,” said Miller. “And so I think I’ve created this great scaffolding for a new leader to come on board and build upon what we’ve started. I did the same with my predecessor so I think I’ve created a great foundation to kind of build upon.”
Miller also had a hand in hiring 80% of the student life staff currently employed at Denison.
“I will miss the students the most and my team the second-most,” said Miller.
One of the people he helped to hire is Dr. Nicole Ausmer, Senior Associate Vice President of Student Life.
Ausmer is part of the Student Life Leadership team alongside Miller. She also joined the Denison Forward committee in Miller’s place to provide a voice for The Division of Student Life.
Aumser noted that Miller is a “classically trained student life professional” and that “he has brought a wealth of experience into this role.” She also mentioned that he’s Denison’s first seated Vice President who hasn’t come from the faculty.
Katherine Snyder, Associate Vice President of Student Life, is another member of Miller’s team.
“Dr. Alex Miller has been my direct supervisor since I started at Denison in April 2023. In just one short year working with him, I have come to understand the indelible mark he has left on Student Life and Denison University through his leadership, creativity, strategic thinking, and most importantly, dedication to the student experience,” said Snyder.
Denison has created a search committee in order to find a new Vice President of Student Life, in addition to working with BeecherHill, an executive search firm.
The chair of this committee is Raj Bellani, Denison’s Vice President and Chief of Staff. The other members are: Trustee James L. Anderson ‘85, Senior Associate VP of Student Life Nicole Ausmer, Head Soccer Coach and Assistant Professor Brandon Biano, Executive Assistant of Student Life Holly Breymaier, Chair of the Faculty, Chair of Philosophy and Associate Professor of Philosophy Sam Cowling, Trustee Jeryl Hayes ‘04, Students Jay Jackon ‘25 and Dilnoza Khuseynova ’25, Trustee Thomas E. Szykowny ’79, Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Biology Jeff Thompson, Chair and Professor of Studio Art Micaela Vivero and Vice President for Talent and Culture and CHRO Janine Watkins.
The search committee hasn’t started interviewing candidates yet. As of right now, their plan is to focus on these interviews after commencement and have a candidate selected right around mid-summer.
In an email sent out to members of the Denison community on March 12, President Adam Weinberg stated: “We plan to have a new vice president for Student Life before classes resume in August.”
“We’re going to run a fast race,” said Ausmer about the process.
“But Denison is a great institution so we know that we have folks who can’t wait to come here,” Ausmer said. “We’re going to find the right candidate, and even though it’s moving fast I think we’ll be okay because we’re just positioned to welcome someone.”
Dr. Miller’s last day on campus will be June 7.