The ThinkShift
Team
Katrina Rodriguez, Ph.D.
When I think about who I’ve become, I return to the roots of my story—my family. Raised in a close-knit Mexican American household, I was shaped by a culture of humility, compassion, and fierce love. My grandmother, who never used the word “leader,” showed me what leadership truly means. She brought people together through tradition, through joy—organizing tamale-making assemblies for Christmas Eve dinner and hiding confetti eggs in the desert sun for Easter. Her power wasn’t in title or authority, it was in connection, creativity, and deep care.
Those early lessons—quiet strength, joy in community, the brilliance of shared purpose—stayed with me. I remember being in third grade, trying to hit a “home run” in phonics class by mastering the six “ough” words: Tough, though, through, etc. That game, that playful drive to learn, made a mark. It taught me that even the most complex concepts can be joyful, accessible, and transformative when we lead with creativity.
That’s how I’ve approached my work across more than three decades in higher education—as a teacher, a builder, and a leader. Whether I was designing a graduate course, advising a doctoral student, or restructuring a university division, I always led with the belief that care, creativity, and co-creation spark lasting change.
From 2018 to 2024, I served as Vice President for Student Affairs at both the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) and St. Cloud State University (SCSU). In those roles, I worked across student services, career readiness, equity and inclusion, counseling, residence life and more—championing student well-being and institutional transformation. Before that, I was the inaugural Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at UNC, building a new division from the ground up. That work wasn’t just strategic; it was deeply personal. It was about ensuring that every student—especially those historically left at the margins—felt seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.
I’ve always been a builder. At both UNC and SCSU, I led collaborative efforts to both create and brand, new Student Affairs divisions, bringing people together to co-author the vision and design. We didn’t just talk about innovation—we lived it. We hosted creative brainstorming sessions, celebrated wins with campus-wide reveal parties, and made sure every voice shaped the future we imagined.
As a faculty member, I brought that same spirit into the classroom. I’ve advised the dissertations of over 50 doctoral students, published more than 35 academic papers and presentations, and won three teaching awards—not because I had all the answers, but because I believed in the brilliance of my students. I designed courses where we wrestled with equity-minded research and leadership theory through challenges, puzzles, and play—making learning meaningful, relevant, and alive.
I’m a proud first-generation college graduate with a Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership from UNC, and both a master’s and bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University. And while the titles and milestones matter, what matters more is what they represent: Years of listening, growing, and walking alongside others toward change.
At my core, I believe leadership is about building trust, empowering others, and creating spaces where people can bring their full selves. Whether in a boardroom, a classroom, or a community gathering, my mission remains the same: Help people connect to ideas, to one another, and to their own capacity to lead.