Chris Trudell is an Associate Director of New Student and Family Programs and has been at Clemson University since 2012. Starting as a graduate student and then an Associate Director in the New Student and Family Programs (NSFP) office, Chris redesigned the entire NSFP student staff experience in introducing digital tools, techniques, and best practices to rethink ideas of leadership through a digital lens. Since this first step NSFP has taken innovative steps to blend traditional new student orientation with contemporary digital environments and experiences. Rethinking how to use social media, the Internet, and student leaders – NSFP has met students and their families online and welcoming them to the greater Clemson University community both online and offline. NSFP has questioned the statuesque and recognized new students have complex interconnected Internet identities, and have started the Orientation process with these identities in mind. This has become Chris’s specific research interests, and he has been implementing new training programs, practices, and assessment of students’ digital experiences.
Prior to Clemson University, Chris completed his Bachelors degree in English – Language and Literacy development at California State University, Chico. While at Chico State he navigated several paraprofessional roles in academic advising, student leadership, and writing instruction. While he recognized his profession was situated in Student Affairs he then pursued his M.Ed. in Student Affairs and Counseling at Clemson University in South Carolina. During his M.Ed program he transitioned to the Associate Director role, and has been coordinating Clemson’s orientation student leaders training, instruction, and greater leadership development. In addition, Chris has started his Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership and has just started the research process and is exploring the complexity of digital identity development of college students. His experiences have created a student-centered philosophy that aims to understand the dynamic world students navigate.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Chris and join his digital conversations via Twitter @chris_trudell
