Office Hours with John Gardner
April Perry makes the case for expanding view of graduate students to include those in master’s and professional studies, emphasizing the importance of addressing their specific needs. Discover successful strategies from her recently co-authored book, which highlights the shift from transactional to transformational interactions.
Dr. April Perry is an Associate Professor in the M.Ed. Higher Education Student Affairs program and serves at Department Head/Chair for Human Services at Western Carolina University. Her research is primarily on college student identity development, career development, student transitions, and institutional initiatives for student success. She is the co-editor of the recent book – A Practitioner’s Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Students (Routledge, 2022).
As a practitioner, April has worked in Student Leadership Programs, Parent & Family Programs, Fundraising & Marketing, Academic Tutoring Services, Graduate School Administration, and has served in various leadership roles in the academy such as Department Head, Assistant Department Head, Interim Associate Dean of the Grad School, and HESA Graduate Program Director.
In 2016, April received the WCU Graduate School’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring. In 2017, she was named Outstanding Professional in Graduate and Professional Student Services by NASPA’s AGAPSS Knowledge Community. In 2020, she was selected for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Blue Ridge Stand Out (14 under 40). In 2022, she was honored with NASPA AGAPSS’ Outstanding Contribution to Research and the Profession Award, and also in 2022 received NASPA Faculty Council’s Outstanding Support for Graduate Students Award. In 2024, her book was selected for the Outstanding Publication Award by NASPA’s Faculty Council.
April is passionate about student/human development and lives by the motto that ‘the only thing better than watching someone grow is helping them grow.’
