Presenter Bio - Dr. Grant L. Azdell
Dr. Grant L. Azdell is a higher education leader, consultant, and campus safety expert with nearly 30 years of experience in senior student affairs and executive leadership roles. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively in emergency management, crisis response, campus safety, risk management, higher education law, strategic planning, and organizational leadership.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Azdell has served as Principal Partner of Azdell Morgan, a consulting firm that works with colleges and universities to strengthen campus safety, emergency preparedness, and organizational effectiveness. Through Azdell Morgan, he has conducted physical security and campus safety assessments, helped institutions identify and address organizational and operational vulnerabilities, and provided training designed to prepare campus leaders and staff to respond effectively to emergencies and crisis situations.
With an extensive background in emergency management and emergency medical services, Dr. Azdell is frequently called upon as a subject matter expert in crisis management, emergency planning, and campus risk. He has developed and taught programs in emergency management, leadership, education, and pre-hospital emergency care and established EMT programs at two institutions he has served. He also served for a decade as Chief of the Lynchburg Life Saving Crew and has been a Nationally Registered EMT since the age of sixteen.
Dr. Azdell is the author of three books addressing Behavioral Assessment Teams, Title IX, and campus liability and risk management. He has also published numerous articles, presented at national conferences, provided consulting services, and led professional development programs and webinars on a wide range of issues affecting colleges and universities. His higher education career has included service at both public and private institutions in Tennessee, Indiana, North Carolina, and Virginia.
In addition to his campus safety and emergency management expertise, Dr. Azdell brings significant experience in assessment, budgeting, retention, fundraising, and strategic planning. He has managed multimillion-dollar organizational budgets and served two terms as Treasurer for Region III of NASPA.
Dr. Azdell earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Virginia, his M.Div. from Vanderbilt University, and his B.A. in Religious Studies and Political Science from Lynchburg College. He is also a Certified Fund Raising Manager through Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Committed to service and community engagement, Dr. Azdell has served on the boards of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, Ashland Police Department Foundation, Ashland Volunteer Rescue Squad, and Lynchburg Life Saving Crew.
