Carrie McLaughlin

Carrie McLaughlin currently serves as the Dean of Students at Niagara
University, a position she has held since 2011. She earned her Bachelor
of Arts degree in History in 1995 from the University of Guelph, in
Ontario Canada, and her Master’s degree in College Student Personnel at
Miami University of Ohio in 1997. Carrie worked in Residence Life at
Colgate University for four years upon completing her graduate degree
and later attended Syracuse University, where she is a doctoral
candidate in Higher Education Administration. After leaving Syracuse,
Carrie served as Director of Student Life at Loyola University Maryland
in Baltimore for five years before joining the staff at Niagara.
Why Niagara?
Throughout
my career, I have sought positions at small, private colleges as I
value the student-centered collaborative partnerships that can be
developed in such campus communities. Being Canadian, I was drawn to
Niagara University not just because of its size but also because of its
location and identity as a bi-national institution. Most importantly, I
wanted to continue working in a Catholic institution where I could help
students reflect on their experiences and the ways in which our mission
might influence their own intellectual, spiritual and personal
development.
Why VMI?
Having worked in Catholic higher
education for the past nine years, I have gained a greater appreciation
for Catholic teaching, ritual and tradition which has inspired me both
personally and professionally. I am excited to have the opportunity to
engage and reflect with colleagues from each of the Vincentian
institutions, and to learn from one another’s experiences. I was
honored to be selected to participate in the VMI and I look forward to
gaining a deeper understanding of who St. Vincent DePaul was and to
further explore what is unique to our Vincentian heritage. I also look
forward to growing personally from the VMI as I continue on my own
faith journey, but most importantly how I might carry all of these
insights into the areas that I supervise, and share them with the staff
and students with whom I work.