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Dr. Michele Caruso serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Nicholls State University where she provides leadership and vision to a portfolio of comprehensive student development, student engagement, student living, and student service programs. Her 24 years of student affairs administrative experience include serving as Associate Vice President for Student Affairs as well as Dean of Student Services. She has also served as an associate member of graduate faculty, teaching in the higher education administration program master’s program and has taught in sociology and psychology throughout most of her career. As a senior leader in higher education her passion, focus, and accomplishments have centered on student health and wellness, equity and social justice, food insecurity, strategic student engagement, purposeful and meaningful student experiences, strategic policy development, and behavioral crisis and threat assessment. Dr. Caruso participated in the 2018-2019 University of Louisiana System Management and Leadership Institute where she further advanced and expanded her understanding and application of effective leadership in higher education. She earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of New Orleans and a doctorate in counselor education from Mississippi State University.