Captivating speakers and a slate of can’t-miss sessions are waiting for you.
Brenda Ice
Assistant Vice President for Residential & Community Living, Brown University in Providence, RI
Opening Keynote
Brenda Ice serves as Assistant Vice President for Residential & Community Living at Brown University, overseeing residential education, housing operations, new student orientation, off-campus and graduate housing, Greek Life, summer conferences, and capital planning. She leads this work by fostering inclusive residential communities that support student wellness, growth, and connection to the academic experience.
With more than 25 years in higher education, Brenda has held leadership roles at Scripps College, UC Riverside, Colgate University, Towson University, Wilkes University, and Salisbury University. She is deeply committed to mentorship and advancing the profession, currently serving on the ACUHO-I Executive Board as Workforce Development Director and co-chairing the NASPA Black Diaspora Knowledge Community’s Mentoring Committee. She is also well known for her long-standing involvement with The Placement Exchange, where she has served as mentor, planning committee member, and Chair.
Brenda earned a B.A. in Psychology from Washington College (MD), an M.Ed. in Post-Secondary Education from Salisbury University, and is pursuing an Ed.D. in Student Affairs Administration & Leadership from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, focusing on the experiences of Black women in student affairs.
Walter M. Kimbrough, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President for Research and Member Engagement, United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
Closing Speaker
A native of Atlanta, Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough was his high school salutatorian and student body president and went on to earn degrees from the University of Georgia, Miami University in Ohio, and a doctorate in higher education from Georgia State University. He has enjoyed a fulfilling career in student affairs, serving at Emory University, Georgia State University, Old Dominion University, and Albany State University. At age 37, he began a seven-and-a-half-year tenure as president of Philander Smith College, followed by ten years as president of Dillard University. In addition, he spent a year as the interim president of Talladega College. Kimbrough currently serves as the Executive Vice President for Research and Member Engagement at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
Prior to UNCF, Kimbrough served as the inaugural Rutgers University Center for Minority Serving Institutions President-In-Residence, interim executive director of the Black Men’s Research Institute at Morehouse College and as Executive-In Residence for the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center.
Kimbrough has been recognized for his research and writings on HBCUs and African American men in college. Recently he has emerged as one of the leaders discussing free speech on college campuses. Kimbrough also has been noted for his active use of social media. He was cited by Education Dive as one of 10 college presidents on Twitter who are doing it right (@HipHopPrez) and named by The Best Schools.org as one of the 20 most interesting college presidents. In 2023 College Cliffs named him as one of the 55 Top U.S. College And University Presidents. In early 2022 he was appointed by President Joseph Biden to the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs.
Dr. Kimbrough has forged a national reputation as an expert on fraternities and sororities, with specific expertise regarding historically Black, Latin and Asian groups. He is the author of the book, Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities, and has served as an expert witness in a number of hazing cases