Genia Herndon, Ed.D., is getting to know Chapman by getting to know its people. Since joining the university this summer as senior vice president for student affairs, she has been meeting with students and colleagues, listening to their experiences, and learning what makes the Chapman community distinctive.
Herndon spoke with Inside Chapman about what drew her to the university, what she’s learned so far, and what she hopes to bring to the student experience. She also shared a little about life outside of work.
Your career has centered on supporting students and the student experience. What first drew you to this work, and what has kept you passionate about it throughout your career?
I have always been drawn to work that creates exceptional experiences. I actually began my career in the Sports and Entertainment Division at Aramark Corporation, and although that may seem like a very different starting point from higher education, there has been a consistent thread throughout my career: thinking intentionally about the experience we create and recognizing that the best experiences are rarely created by one person or one area alone.
When I moved into higher education, that focus took on even greater meaning. Creating an exceptional student experience requires partnership across an institution and a shared commitment to providing opportunities for students to grow, find community, and discover what they are capable of. While students are developing intellectually, they are also figuring out who they are, what matters to them, and how they want to contribute to the world. Having the opportunity to support students during that process and to be part of their success story is incredibly meaningful to me.
What has kept me passionate is that students continually remind us why the work matters. Their experiences, aspirations, and challenges evolve, which means our work has to evolve with them. I also love that Student Affairs sits at the intersection of so many dimensions of university life. We have the opportunity to create environments where students feel they belong and are supported, while also encouraging them to stretch themselves, navigate challenges, and take full advantage of their education.
Ultimately, I have stayed in this field because I believe deeply in the transformative power of higher education and in our responsibility to ensure that transformation extends well beyond the classroom.
What attracted you to Chapman and the opportunity to lead Student Affairs here? Was there something about the university or its community that stood out to you?
I was at an interesting point in my career when the Chapman opportunity emerged. Colorado is where I was born and raised and, outside of a few years in Massachusetts, had always been home. I wasn’t necessarily looking to leave, but I was in a period of reflection, thinking intentionally about my next opportunity for growth, the kind of leadership challenge I wanted to take on, and where I could make a meaningful contribution. When I learned about Chapman, it was an opportunity I simply could not ignore.
What stood out was the combination of ambition and community. Chapman has tremendous momentum and bold aspirations for its future, while maintaining a strong commitment to knowing students as individuals. Throughout the process, I was struck by how deeply people care about the university. There was genuine pride in what Chapman is today, coupled with an openness and excitement about what it can become. I also heard a shared commitment to the student experience, not simply as the responsibility of Student Affairs, but as something the entire university community helps create.
Leaving Colorado was not a small decision, but Chapman offered the combination I was looking for: a strong foundation, an ambitious vision, and an engaged community. The opportunity to build on what is already here while working collaboratively to help shape what comes next made it a move I was excited to make.
Now that you’ve had some time to experience Chapman firsthand, what have you noticed about the university and its students? Has anything surprised you?
One of the first things I noticed is how engaged Chapman students are. They care deeply about their experience, want to be part of shaping it, and are willing to share both what they love about Chapman and where they believe we can be better. I value that enormously.
What has perhaps surprised me most is just how real the idea of the “Chapman Family” is. “Family” is a word many institutions use to describe their communities, but you quickly learn whether it is something people simply say or something they actually live. In my short time here, I have felt genuinely welcomed and, in many ways, adopted into the Chapman Family. I have experienced such generosity from students, colleagues, and members of the broader community, and I am incredibly grateful for that.
That sense of connection is special. There is tremendous pride in Chapman, but also a shared investment in one another and in making this university even better. I am excited to now be part of it.
What experiences from your previous roles have most shaped the way you approach leadership and your work with students?
Every role I have held has shaped how I lead, but one lesson has remained constant: leadership begins with people. I have had the opportunity to lead through significant growth and change, build new programs and partnerships, and work alongside incredibly talented teams. Those experiences have taught me to start with curiosity, listen before assuming I have the answer, and never underestimate what people can accomplish when they understand the purpose, believe in what we are trying to achieve, and know that someone believes in them.
I have also learned that meaningful work rarely happens in isolation. Universities are complex communities, and our best solutions come when we build relationships, bring different perspectives together, and stay focused on the people we are here to serve rather than on who owns a particular issue.
Perhaps most importantly, I have learned to stay close to students. As responsibilities grow, it becomes even more important to create opportunities to hear directly from them. Their experiences keep me grounded, challenge my assumptions, and remind me why the work matters.
How would you describe your leadership philosophy, particularly when it comes to building relationships with students and the teams you lead?
My leadership philosophy begins with relationships, trust, and clarity. I believe people do their best work when they understand where we are going, why it matters, and what we can accomplish together. My responsibility as a leader is to help create the conditions for people to feel trusted, supported, and empowered to contribute their talents to a shared purpose.
Listening is central to how I lead. It does not mean every decision will result in everyone getting exactly what they want, but people should know their perspective was genuinely heard and considered. That is equally true for the students we serve and the colleagues I have the privilege of leading.
With students especially, I value authenticity. I want them to feel comfortable sharing what they love about Chapman as well as where they believe we can do better. Some of our most productive conversations happen when we listen with curiosity, are transparent about the realities we are navigating, and focus together on what is possible.
As you begin leading Student Affairs at Chapman, what are some of the priorities or opportunities you’re most excited to focus on?
I think it would be unfair to Chapman for me to arrive with a predetermined playbook for what comes next. My first priority is to listen and learn, to understand what is already working well, where there are opportunities to strengthen the experience, and what students, colleagues, and our community need from Student Affairs.
At the same time, listening and learning do not mean waiting to think about what is possible for tomorrow. I am excited about building on the strong foundation already here and considering where we can evolve, connect, and improve our work. Progress does not always mean creating something new. Sometimes the greatest opportunity is making what already exists work even better, removing barriers, strengthening connections, or helping students more easily access the tremendous opportunities Chapman already provides.
More broadly, I want us to think holistically about the student experience. Students do not experience Chapman as an organizational chart. They experience it through moments: arriving on campus, meeting a roommate, joining an organization, asking for help, navigating a setback, finding a mentor, pursuing an internship, celebrating a milestone, and ultimately preparing to graduate. I am interested in how we make those moments, and the transitions between them, as intentional, connected, and supportive as possible.
Students interact with Student Affairs in so many different ways throughout their time at Chapman. What do you hope students ultimately feel or gain from those interactions?
I hope students feel that they matter here. Whether they are finding community, asking for help, navigating a challenge, or discovering an opportunity, I want their experience to feel connected and seamless. Students should not have to understand where one division ends and another begins to find what they need. That requires strong partnerships across the university and a shared commitment to their success.
I also hope students leave Chapman with greater confidence in their ability to navigate complexity. Supporting students does not mean removing every obstacle. It means helping them develop the confidence to work through challenges, ask for help, advocate for themselves, build meaningful relationships, and recover when things do not go according to plan.
If students leave Chapman feeling known, supported, and challenged—and better prepared to engage meaningfully with the world—I think we will have done our job well.
Chapman places a strong emphasis on providing a personalized student experience. What does a truly student-centered university look like to you, and how can Student Affairs help strengthen that experience?
To me, being student-centered begins with a simple question: How will students actually experience this?
Universities are complex, with necessary policies, processes, and organizational structures, but students should not have to become experts in those structures to find what they need. A student-centered university looks at the experience through the eyes of students and continually asks how we can make it more connected, seamless, and responsive.
Personalization also means recognizing that there is no single Chapman student. Students arrive with different experiences, goals, interests, and needs. Our role is not to create one prescribed path, but to create the conditions for students to find opportunities that are meaningful to them while developing a strong connection to the larger Chapman community.
Student Affairs has an important role because we connect with students across so many dimensions of their experience. Through strong partnerships across the university, we can help connect those experiences, identify gaps, and make a complex institution feel personal, navigable, and human.
Now that the academic year is underway, what are you most looking forward to experiencing with the Chapman community?
I am looking forward to experiencing even more of what makes Chapman distinctive. Homecoming is certainly high on my list, along with spending more time with students through planned activities, student organizations, performances, athletic events, and the everyday moments of campus life. Those experiences allow me to see Chapman through the eyes of our students and continue learning what matters most to them.
I am equally excited to continue developing relationships across the university, within Student Affairs, with our academic partners, and with members of our governing boards and donor community. I believe the people make the place, and relationships are where I choose to invest. The more I understand the people who care deeply about Chapman and their hopes for its future, the better positioned I am to contribute to what we can accomplish together.
There is still so much for me to see and learn, and I am looking forward to all of it.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing? What is something the Chapman community might be surprised or simply interested to learn about you?
When I’m not working, much of my life revolves around family and, these days, quite a bit of hockey. My son is a hockey goalie, so I have spent more hours than I can count in ice rinks. I am also a big sports fan, hockey in particular, which may explain his passion for the game. I also have an adult daughter, and I am really enjoying this stage of watching her see where all of her hard work is taking her. As a parent, there is something pretty special about reaching the point where you get to step back and watch your child begin to fly.
I love traveling, spending time with family and friends, enjoying live music and theater, and discovering new places. I am also known to escape into a good television show or movie. I am a huge Aaron Sorkin fan, and The West Wing is probably my ultimate comfort rewatch. I have seen it more times than I should admit and can find a West Wing reference for almost any situation. I am also a big Ted Lasso fan, which probably says something about my appreciation for stories about leadership, relationships, and believing in people.
Relocating to Southern California has given me an entirely new region to explore, so I welcome recommendations from students and colleagues, whether it is a great restaurant, live music or theater I should experience, a local place I should discover, or the next television show or movie I need to watch.
Story by Paul Pe and Photo by Andrew Castro