Dear Colleagues,
Please join me in welcoming Leon McClinton Jr., Ph.D., as our associate vice president for Residential Life and Integrated Learning. He joins us on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025.
AVP McClinton brings a deep commitment to equity, community, and holistic student development, core values that will guide his leadership at LMU. In this role, he will serve on both the Student Affairs leadership and management teams, reporting directly to me. He will be responsible for our integrated approach to residential life, co-curricular learning, and student development. AVP McClinton will oversee a broad and dynamic portfolio, including Student Housing, Student Leadership Development, the Pam Rector Center for Service and Action, Campus Recreation and Student Facilities, and cross-divisional initiatives connecting academic and co-curricular experiences.
With more than 30 years of experience advancing student success, inclusive excellence, and integrated learning environments, AVP McClinton is a nationally recognized student affairs leader. He most recently served as the director of housing and residential life at Oklahoma State University, where he led strategic planning, capital improvements, and cross-campus initiatives that strengthened belonging and academic engagement. McClinton also served as interim vice president for Student Affairs, where he oversaw a broad portfolio including counseling, student conduct, career services, and health and wellness. He was honored with OSU’s Citizenship #LeadOrange Award for building meaningful campus community partnerships, including his leadership of the university’s annual MLK Celebration.
Earlier in his career, AVP McClinton served as director of residential life at Virginia Tech University, where he led one of the largest residential programs in the country and helped implement the university’s first residential college communities. At Old Dominion University, he served as director of residence education and taught in the higher education program. McClinton’s leadership journey began at Clemson University, where he held multiple leadership roles in residential life and received the university’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contributions. He earned a doctoral degree in educational leadership, a master’s degree in human resource development, and a bachelor’s degree in textile management, all from Clemson University.
Throughout his career, AVP McClinton has helped build programs that support the first-year experience and has provided steady, compassionate leadership in moments of crisis and emergency response. Beyond campus leadership, he served as president of the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I), representing over 1,000 institutions in 16 countries. He has published scholarship on student engagement, taught as graduate faculty, and mentored rising professionals through national leadership institutes.
I am grateful to our chair and all the members of our search committee, including:
- Roberto Aguirre, search chair, vice president for Campus Safety Services;
- Elaine Peters, executive recruiter, Human Resources;
- Linda Clowers, associate vice president for student success and belonging;
- Beth Crowell, director, facilities management support services, Facilities Management;
- Michael Medina, director, Campus Recreation and Student Facilities;
- Jenny Fukunaga, associate director of community and academic engagement, Pam Rector Center for Service and Action;
- Taryn Vander Hoop, faculty fellow in residence, associate professor and chair of dance;
- Satinder Gill, director, Student Psychological Services;
- Isabel Villalobos-Galeana, assistant director for residence life, community development, Student Housing;
- Jeanette Ramirez, senior administrative coordinator, Student Leadership and Development;
- Thomas Rife ’26, a computer science major, a member of the Student Affairs Advisory Board and Crimson Circle Service Organization.
Please join me in welcoming Leon to our Student Affairs team on Monday Aug. 18, from 3-4 p.m., in The Loft or stop by his office located on the third floor of Malone Student Center, in Suite 355. As the new academic year approaches, we have an opportunity to create a mission-centered, integrated approach to residential life, co-curricular learning, and student development. I look forward to seeing how our collaboration with AVP McClinton and the work being done across this portfolio will help our Lion community thrive and grow together.
Sincerely,
Kawanna Leggett, Ed.D.
Senior Vice President for Student Affairs
Instagram: @drkawannalmu
