National ACPA Honor Awarded to Robert Hradsky

Robert Hradsky, Ed.D., vice president for student engagement in Student Experience, has been inducted into the ACPA – College Student Educators International Diamond Honoree Class of 2024. Hradsky will be among the group of 18 individuals recognized during the ACPA convention March 18-21 in Chicago, Illinois.

Robert Hradsky

As the leading comprehensive student affairs association, ACPA advances student affairs and engages students for a lifetime of learning and discovery. Within ACPA, the dedicated leaders who champion student care alongside research, scholarship and programs promoting student development and success, are honored with induction into the Diamond Honoree Program.

“I am humbled at being selected as a Diamond Honoree and share this honor with the many students, staff and faculty with whom I’ve engaged over my career. I especially want to thank my Syracuse colleagues who nominated me for this recognition,” shares Hradsky.

Hradsky earned a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in higher education and student affairs administration from the University of Vermont, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Loyola University Maryland. His professional experiences are focused in student affairs, academics and higher education leadership. Recognized by a number of professional organizations, he is known nationally for cultivating student-centered transformative environments.

“Rob and I met when we were both students at the University of Vermont and have remained connected throughout our careers by our involvement in ACPA. I’ve learned so much from him over the years about his efforts to integrate services and support for students through innovative collaborations. He truly deserves this recognition,” says Suzanne McGillicuddy, the University’s remote programs NYC director of student support and Diamond Honoree Program nominator.

As a strategic leader and an innovative collaborator for over three decades, Hradsky has held various leadership roles including at the ACPA and the ACPA Educational Leadership Foundation. His professional passions include creating exceptional student experiences and fostering positive organizational change.

Joining Syracuse University in 2018 as the senior associate vice president of the student experience and dean of students, he currently serves as the Student Experience Division vice president for student engagement. In this role, he focuses on enhancing community-building and engagement opportunities, in addition to overseeing the Barnes Center at The Arch, Student Living, Student Engagement, Career Services, Student Employment, and Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.

Hradsky also co-chairs the Chancellor’s Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence and the Threat Assessment and Management Team. He is a 2021 recipient of the prestigious Chancellor’s Medal for Outstanding Achievement and was instrumental in Syracuse University’s selection as a Most Promising Place to Work in Student Affairs in 2023.

“I have appreciated Rob’s counsel, support and desire to serve as my learning partner. As higher education searches for a more sustainable future, there will be a need for leaders who value learning and view students and staff as an investment rather than a commodity. I am fortunate to work for a supervisor who understands and embodies that sentiment,” says Steve Herndon, Student Experience Division student living assistant vice president and Diamond Honoree Program nominator.

Funds raised in honor of each Diamond Honoree’s outstanding and sustained commitment to higher education, student affairs and ACPA go to support the ACPA Foundation and its funding of the research, scholarship and programs of ACPA that impact the lives of college students.