Dr. Kimberly Moore looks forward to engaging directly with students in new role

Dylan Paulson, Newswire Intern

Former Dean of Students at the University of Miami, Ohio Dr. Kimberly Moore joined Xavier as the new Vice President for Student Affairs this June.

Originally from Milwaukee, Moore came to Xavier hoping to embrace the Jesuit values she remembers from home. She is eager to explore how these values can support her work with Xavier students.

“I missed the Jesuit education,” Moore said, “Having a defined mission grounded in social justice animates my work — I missed that at a public institution.”

Coming out of her undergraduate education as a marketing major, Moore realized that her career in business was not quite as fulfilling as she had hoped. 

“I just didn’t know what I wanted to do, which I think a lot of students could probably resonate with, but I knew it wasn’t marketing and working on the business side,” she said.

 Despite having a successful career in business, she felt that she wanted to do something different with her life. Soon after achieving success, Moore found what that something was.

“I just happened to be invited to my alma mater to guest lecture on business ethics, and when I was doing that, I had a bit of an epiphany and said ‘Hey, how do I work with these amazing young people?’” she said.

After her guest lecture, Moore pursued a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs at Loyola University Chicago, where she would then go on to pursue a doctorate in the same field.

After graduating with her doctorate in 2018, Moore became the Dean of Students at Miami University, where she would serve until spring of 2023, after which she came to Xavier. When asked why she chose Xavier, Moore praised the student body.

“I think what stands out to me the most is how pure of heart our students are,” Moore said. “I think our students have really good intentions, and they are seeking more meaningful and purposeful ways to elevate their talents and skills for the common good, which is so very Jesuit.”

Though she has only been on campus for a few months, Moore is already hard at work deciding her first steps at Xavier, including meeting the needs of the modern student who has been impacted by things such as COVID-19.

“You young people are so used to algorithms guessing and knowing what is of interest to you, what your needs are and anticipating those options to you in apps and through technology. So, we’ve got to figure out ways to meet students where they are and maybe change the way that we teach and learn, or the models that we deploy around student engagement, student involvement, health and well-being support and make sure it’s built in the ways that our students are expecting and needing,” she said.

 Additionally, Moore hopes to push the limits of higher education and develop connections with the students on a deeper level. 

“My purpose is to help students maximize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of college,” Moore said, “(and) the way we do that is to help them be successful.”

 Moore outlined some ideas that are being discussed by Xavier leadership, including hosting different kinds of events to reach out to the student body and promote student involvement.

Expressing to students that she hopes to receive invitations to participate and attend events, Moore is eager to engage with students and student groups.

“I want them to know that I am very big on invitations. So if there is an event or group meeting or an opportunity for me to meet and engage with more students directly, I am absolutely open to them. The more students I can share space and time with, the better I am able to do my work,” she said.

Moore emphasized that she plans to usher in a new era of connection between students and staff and ultimately hopes to develop a tighter-knit campus community.