Ross named executive director of global academic advising association
MANHATTAN — NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising has selected Kyle Ross as executive director of the 14,000-member association hosted by the Kansas State University College of Education, effective Aug. 1.
"Kyle is uniquely qualified for this position in terms of his background in academic advising, teaching and research; leadership acumen; and involvement with NACADA," said Debbie Mercer, dean of the College of Education. "We conducted a worldwide search and found the person who not only met the qualifications but who exceeded our expectations."
A NACADA member for 11 years, Ross was president of the NACADA board of directors in 2021-2022, working with leadership to develop a new vision, mission and strategic goals guiding the association into the future. He has also served as a higher education consultant through NACADA's consulting programs.
"It is difficult to describe how honored I am by this opportunity to lead NACADA," Ross said. "It will be exciting to work with talented colleagues in the executive office and at Kansas State University as well as the association's exceptional members in this new capacity. NACADA is well positioned as the world leader for student success through academic advising, and I look forward to advancing the profession."
Ross has contributed substantially to the scholarly body of academic advising work, presenting more than 50 sessions and publishing articles on the connection between academic advising and student success. His research areas of interest include how advisors guide students through parallel planning for and exploration of multiple academic and career pathways to achieve their ultimate goals; incorporating solution-focused counseling techniques in advising conversations; and engaging teams in action research methods to improve understanding around student retention and attrition.
Ross earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Washington. He earned both of his graduate degrees from Washington State University — a master's in counseling and a doctorate in educational leadership. Ross currently serves as head advisor in the College of Business at Oregon State University, where he supervises academic advisors that serve approximately 4,300 students.
NACADA is a nonprofit association of higher education professionals that promotes student success by advancing the field of academic advising globally, with membership in 35 countries. The association provides opportunities for professional development and networking through its conferences, institutes, online learning, communities of practice, research, journals, and publications as well as consulting services.
