Presenter Bio - Dr. Smita Ruzicka
Dr. Smita Ruzicka currently serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Middlebury College where she provides leadership for a wide portfolio of services and programs aimed at enhancing the overall student experience.
Dr. Ruzicka has over 20 years of leadership experience in higher education in a variety of institutions and regions of the country. Prior to joining Middlebury, she served as the Dean of Student Life at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. She has also served as the Assistant Vice President for Campus Life at Tulane University in New Orleans and served in various leadership positions at the University of Texas at Austin for over thirteen years. Smita has provided leadership in a variety of student affairs units from new student orientation, residential life, student activities, sorority and fraternity life, student conduct, equity and inclusion to health and well-being. Smita has also served on various campus crisis response teams and has provided leadership and coordination when addressing a variety of campus crisis including student deaths, covid-19 management and response, major weather-related events, campus-wide protests etc. Smita has served as adjunct faculty and taught various academic courses at these institutions including first year seminar classes and courses on equity and inclusion as well as leadership development.
She holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from The University of Texas at Austin. She also has a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. She received her undergraduate degree in English and Psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX.
Prior to working in higher education, Smita worked as a Licensed professional mental health therapist for many years, including having her own counseling private practice where she provided therapeutic services to individuals, couples, and groups. Smita has also been an organizational diversity and leadership consultant, training and consulting with a wide variety of groups on topics including leadership development, building inclusive organizations and teams as well as organizational teambuilding and strategic planning. Her research interests and areas include South Asian American college students, Asian American issues especially mental health, and leadership development.
