Dr. Leming brings 30 years of combined experience in higher education, including extensive administrative leadership at both the state and institutional levels. Actively engaged in multiple national initiatives focused on postsecondary reform, she has a strong track record of securing significant federal and philanthropic grants to advance research and innovation in student-facing and teaching practices. Her work emphasizes high-impact, experiential learning opportunities that equip students with durable skills aligned with academic pathways and career readiness.
Dr. Heidi Leming most recently served as Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Strategic Partnerships at the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). During her 12 years at TBR, she worked closely with student affairs operations and vice presidents for student affairs across TBR’s 36 colleges and served as the system-level advocate to other state agencies on student-related issues. She was instrumental in advancing student affairs and student success initiatives related to accessibility, high-impact practices, international education, academic mindset, and support for low-income students, English language learners, and first-generation students. She led the creation and full-scale implementation of the nation’s first statewide learner and employment record, launched in fall 2025. Under Dr. Leming’s leadership TBR’s Office of Student Success was recognized by NASPA in 2025 for research conducted to better understand veteran student support services and in 2022 was recognized for assessing the statewide impact of high impact practices across the TBR System.
Dr. Leming has held campus-level student affairs administrative experience at institutions in Tennessee, Virginia, New York, and Georgia. An active member of the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), she was the inaugural recipient of the NASPA Public Policy Division Professional Award (2025) and the recipient of the NASPA Region III Outstanding Senior Student Affairs Officer Award (2019). She has published book chapters and articles on high-impact practices and student engagement and regularly speaks at state and national convenings on student retention and success efforts.
Dr. Leming received her PhD from the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia, her M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Virginia Tech, and her B.S. in Mass Communications from Moorhead State University in Minnesota.
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