Ryan Richardson

Job Title

Adjunct Faculty
Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Graduate School

Highlight

Ryan is originally from the state of Mississippi and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mississippi State University. Following a season of mission work in northwest Montana, Ryan and his wife, Kristen moved to Texas and earned their Masters of Divinity degrees at Baylor University. After almost a decade of working as a university chaplain at Baylor, Ryan pursued further study in the field of Higher Education Administration, receiving his PhD in 2016 from Azusa Pacific University. Ryan has taught adjunctly in the Academy for Leader Development at Baylor, the EDD program at Abilene Christian University (ACU), and now in Educational Administration at Bethel. In addition to teaching adjunctly, Ryan leads the student life division at Abilene Christian. He lives with his wife and three boys in west Texas.

Started at Bethel

2024

Education

Azusa Pacific University - PhD in Higher Education Administration, 2016
Baylor University - Master of Divinity, 2004
Mississippi State University - Bachelor of Business Administration, 1997

Biography

Courses Taught

EDL 6306 Student Success in Higher Education - School of Education | Academy for Leader Development
LDS 1301 Introduction to Leadership Development Theory (3-hour course)
LDS 2301 Vocational Calling & Leadership (3-hour course)
LDS 3306 Peer Leadership for the New Student Experience (3-hour course)
CCS 1100 Community and Civic Engagement (3-hour course)
U/BU1000 New Student Experience
CORE 110 Cornerstone
HIED 672 Leadership in Higher Education
EDR 8300 The Research Process
DIS 9901 Components of the Dissertation
CMP 9601 Doctoral Comprehensive Assessment: Pre-Candidacy Prospectus
DIS 9902 Dissertation Prospectus
EDR 8300 The Research Process
DIS 9901 Components of the Dissertation
CMP 9601 Doctoral Comprehensive

Publications

ACU Leads: A Leadership Skills Development Initiative. A publication of the Quality

Enhancement Plan committee. Abilene Christian University. March 2022.

Patterson, M., Richardson, R., & Jackson, K. (2018). Using Network Analysis to Conduct a

Systemic Program Evaluation within a University. Journal of Student Affairs Research and

Practice.

Global Baylor: A Plan to Foster Student Learning Through Deepened Global Engagement. A

publication of the Quality Enhancement Plan committee. Baylor University, 2018.

The Wisdom of Mr. Owl: The Importance of Not Knowing. A blog for Convergence on Campus

Religious, Secular, & Spiritual Identities organization, 2018.

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education’s (CAS) Campus Religious,

Spiritual, and Secular Programs. A publication written as a member of the nationwide, eightmember

committee as a component of the national standards for higher education, 2016.

Richardson, R.G. (2016). A Thriving Minority: Pathways to Thriving for Religious Minority

Students Attending Christian Institutions of Higher Education. PhD Dissertation, Azusa

Pacific University.

ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2017. 10602627.

“Peace Amidst the Desolation: A Response to Joell Beagle.”

Truett Journal of Church and Mission, Fall 2009, Vol., 5, No. 1, pp. 24–26.

“Finding Treasure in the Heart of Africa” Kenya Bound! The Center for Ethics at Baylor

University. 2006, pp. 53–58

Presentations

Relationships and Resiliency in Student Advocacy: Centralizing Student Wellness in

the Institutional Context. A presentation given at the Student Affairs Administrators in

Higher Education (NASPA) conference. Boston, MA. April 2023.

Producing Successful Students: Best Practices for Faculty. A presentation at the Thomas H.

Olbright Christian Scholar’s Conference. Lipscomb University. Nashville, TN. June 7, 2022.

Best Practices in Student Success for Post-COVID Campus. A presentation to faculty at the

Adam’s Center for Teacher Education. Abilene, TX. March 12, 2022.

Demographics & Graduation Rates: What We Know and What We Can Do. A presentation

to faculty at the Adam’s Center for Teacher Education. Abilene, TX. September 13, 2021.

Pathways to Thriving for Underrepresented Students at Abilene Christian University. A

presentation to faculty at the Adam’s Center for Teacher Education. Abilene, TX. March 24,

2021

Utilizing the Thriving Quotient as a Pedagogical Tool. A presentation to faculty at the

Adam’s Center for Teacher Education. Abilene, TX. November 12, 2020

Pathways to Thriving for Students in the Religious Minority. A presentation at the Institute

for Advanced Torah Studies. Bar-Ilan University, Tel Aviv, Israel. February 8, 2018.

Academic Secularism and the Religious University. A presentation at the International

Conference for Spiritual Leadership in Academia: Faith & Multiple Truths hosted by Bar-

Ilan University, Tel Aviv, Israel. February 4-8, 2018.

Talking Equity to White Males at Predominantly White Institutions. A presentation with

colleague Ramona Curtis given at the 2018 Impact on Student Learning and Development

Conference. Houston, TX. June 29, 2018.

Talking Equity to White Males at Predominantly White Institutions. A presentation with

colleague Ramona Curtis given at the 2018 American Association of Blacks in Higher

Education (AABHE). New Orleans, LA. March 26, 2018.

A Thriving Minority: Pathways to Success for Religious Minority Students Attending Institutions

of Higher Education. A presentation given at the 2017 NASPA Religious, Secular, and Spiritual

Identities Convergence at the University of California – Los Angeles. May 22-24, 2017.

Identifying Areas of Strength and Weakness in Campus Programming, Education, and

Training: A Network Analysis. A presentation given at the Student Affairs Administrators in

Higher Education (NASPA) conference. San Antonio, TX. March 13, 2017.

Pathways to Success for Religious Minority Students Attending Colleges and Universities. An

academic paper presented at the 2016 Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture: Higher Learning.

Waco, Texas. October 24, 2016

Thriving Sophomores: Creating Successful Second-Year Retreats. A presentation given at the

Thriving Conference 2013. Pasadena, CA. October 27, 2013.

Curiosity: A Key to Fostering Student Leaders and New Perspectives. A presentation given at

the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) conference. Orlando, FL.

March 18, 2013.

Discovering Meaning in the Second Year: A Curriculum for the Sophomore Student.

Curriculum developed and presented at the Baylor University Second Year Retreat 2013

sponsored by Formation and Baptist Student Ministries.

Engaging the Wired Generation: Student Affairs and Technology. A presentation given at the

Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) conference. Phoenix, AZ.

March 11, 2012.

Professional Organizations, Committees, and Boards

NASPA (National Association of Student Affairs Professionals)

ASHE (Association for the Study of Higher Education)

Hobbies and Interests

Playing piano

Running

Research interests

Student Success in Higher Education Leadership and Organizational Change Thriving & the Thriving Quotient Social Minorities in Higher Education Philosophy and Ethics in Leadership Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion The Impact of Spirituality in Higher Education Technology as a Curricular Approach Community and Civic Engagement