Presenter Bio - Dr. Sara Lockwood
Dr. Sara Lockwood serves as the Dean of Student Engagement at Longwood University, where she provides strategic leadership for student engagement initiatives that foster connection, belonging, leadership development, and student success. She oversees departments that create meaningful co-curricular experiences and works collaboratively across campus to cultivate an engaging and inclusive student experience.
Prior to joining Longwood, Dr. Lockwood served as Assistant Dean of Students at Randolph-Macon College, where she partnered with senior Student Affairs leadership on divisional strategic planning and led initiatives that strengthened student engagement and campus belonging. During her tenure, she helped design and implement a Student Affairs-wide co-curricular framework that aligned departments around shared learning outcomes focused on leadership, belonging, and student success. She also secured grant funding from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to launch the institution's inaugural Summer Bridge Program, supporting the transition and success of first-generation college students.
Across each of her roles, she has remained passionate about creating campus environments where students feel connected, supported, and empowered to thrive. An active scholar-practitioner, she regularly presents at regional and national conferences and leads professional development webinars on topics including student engagement, leadership development, student employment, residence life, and supporting today's college students. Her work is grounded in student development theory and informed by current research, with a focus on translating evidence into practical strategies that help colleges and universities create communities where every student has the opportunity to experience meaningful connection and a true sense of belonging.
Dr. Lockwood earned her Doctor of Education in Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University, her Master of Education in Higher Education from the University of Houston-Victoria, and her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Mary Washington.
