(SEATTLE, Wash.) University of Puget Sound Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Mike Segawa assumed the presidency of NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education at the association's annual business meeting held Tuesday, March 10. The business meeting was held as part of the 2009 NASPA Annual Conference, held in Seattle, Wash., and attended by more than 4,100 student affairs professionals, faculty, and students.

"I have always believed that we have been fortunate in NASPA to have the right leader at the right time," said NASPA Executive Director Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy. "As we move into these challenging times for higher education, the nation, and even the world, I can think of no other leader better suited to lead NASPA."

Segawa has served NASPA through numerous regional roles, including an extended term as the Region V Vice President, Regional Conference Chair, and 12 years of service on the Regional Advisory Board. At the national level, he served most recently as Co-Chair of the 2007 Joint ACPA/NASPA Meeting in Orlando. Previous to that Mike served as Chair of the 2001 National Conference in Seattle, and was a member of the national Board of Directors for six years. He has also been active in other student affairs professional organizations, including American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the Association of College and University Housing Officers -International (ACUHO-I).

In his role at the University of Puget Sound, Segawa is responsible for Residence Life; Greek Life; Orientation; Puget Sound Outdoors; Judicial Affairs; Counseling; Health and Wellness; Multicultural Student Affairs; Off-Campus Student Affairs; and Spirituality, Service, and Social Justice. He spent nine years at The Evergreen State College as the Director of Housing; twelve years working in residential life at the University of Washington; and his first two professional years at Central Missouri State University.

University of Puget Sound is a 2,600-student, national undergraduate liberal arts college in Tacoma, Wash., drawing students from 48 states and 20 countries. Puget Sound graduates include Rhodes and Fulbright scholars, notables in the arts and culture, entrepreneurs and elected officials, and leaders in business and finance locally and throughout the world. A low student-faculty ratio provides Puget Sound students with personal attention from faculty who have a strong commitment to teaching and offer 1,200 courses each year in more than 40 major fields. Puget Sound is the only national, independent undergraduate liberal arts college in Western Washington, and one of just five independent colleges in the Northwest granted a charter by Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's most prestigious academic honor society.