Student Affairs Leadership Team
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Dr. L. Christopher Miller
Chris Miller serves as the vice president and dean of students for Clemson University Division of Student Affairs. Miller was appointed to the full-time position in April 2021 after serving in an interim capacity following the retirement of Almeda Jacks. Miller successfully guided Student Affairs through a transitional period in which several of its departments relocated within the institution to the Finance and Operations Division — creating a leaner, more student-focused organizational structure within Student Affairs.
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Senior Associate Vice President Dr. George Smith
George Smith serves as senior associate vice president within the Division of Student Affairs and since Fall 2019 has held administrative oversight for several areas, including: Campus Life, Campus Recreation, the Center for Career and Professional Development, Community and Ethical Standards and Student Health Services. Under his guidance, Student Affairs has raised significant funds to build facilities to support student growth and development through the Barnes Center, Snow Family Outdoor Fitness and Wellness Complex and Samuel J. Cadden Chapel.
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Associate Vice President Johnson Link
Johnson Link serves as associate vice president within the Division of Student Affairs. Link provides divisional oversight for business continuity of operations and enterprise risk management. He is also the liaison to the Joint City University Advisory Board, which restructured to focus seven area-specific workgroups beginning in the fall of 2019. From 2015-19, Link oversaw the division’s municipal services, which included Business Continuity and Security Planning, Emergency Management, Fire/EMS, Municipal Court and Parking and Transportation Services.
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Assistant Vice President and Senior Associate Dean of Students Dr. Kimberly Poole
Kimberly Poole serves as assistant vice president and senior associate dean of students within Clemson University’s Division of Student Affairs. She has overseen the Office of Advocacy and Success since its inception in 2015 and serves as designee for the Dean of Students in his absence. Advocacy and Success serves students as a trusted place for care and referrals to campus and community partners, as part of the CARE Network. Poole also has oversight for Fraternity and Sorority Life and Military and Veteran Engagement.
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Assistant Vice President for Campus Life Mandy Hays
Mandy Hays has been a member of the Division of Student Affairs since 1993. Currently, she serves as the assistant vice president for campus life, a post she has held since 2015. In this role, she is responsible for the direction and supervision of two departments: Campus Reservations & Events and the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement. These areas enhance the out-of-classroom experience for Clemson students through programs and activities, including support for student organizations.
Assistant Vice President for Brand Strategy and Community Engagement Kryssa Cooper
Kryssa Cooper serves as assistant vice president for brand strategy and community engagement within Clemson University’s Division of Student Affairs. She was appointed to the position in January 2022 after two years as the division’s director of corporate and community engagement. In her current role, Cooper oversees Student Affairs Creative Services, division commercial sponsorship coordination and the City of Clemson programs liaison. Cooper serves as a liaison to the division's external boards, including the Student Affairs Committee for the University Board of Trustees.
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Chief Business Operations and Strategy Officer Lisa Bona
Lisa Bona serves as the chief business operations and strategy officer for the Division of Student Affairs. She assumed her current role in April 2017 after spending three and a half years as associate director of student financial services at Emory University in Atlanta. Bona’s team in Student Affairs Business Operations (SABO) provides support to all Student Affairs departments through accounting services, financial reporting, personnel guidance and oversight of integrated financial and assessment strategies.
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Communications Director Philip Sikes
Philip Sikes serves as communications director for Clemson University’s Division of Student Affairs, but his affiliation with the University dates to the fall of 1998 when he enrolled as an undergraduate. Sikes is the chief communications strategist for the vice president’s office and all departments within Student Affairs, as part of the University Relations strategic communications team. Sikes was an associate athletic communications director at Clemson from 2004-17, serving as the primary communications representative for the men’s basketball program.
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