‌Life before TC

Katie Treadwell’s journey to TC was shaped by disaster – none personal, fortunately, but all close enough to make her think. She grew up in Oklahoma City, where her father was a first-responder to the 1995 terrorist bombing. She attended Baylor University in Waco, Tex., where the memories of the 1993 Branch Davidian siege still hung in the air. Later, as a student affairs officer at Oklahoma City Community College, she and her colleagues once faced initial reports of an “active shooter” situation on campus. No one was hurt, but for Treadwell, the unthinkable had become something to ponder – and, ultimately, to study.  

Why TC 

Working as a student affairs officer at Barnard College, Treadwell found her fit in TC’s Adult Education Guided Intensive Study (AEGIS) program, which offers a fast track to the doctorate for highly motivated mid-career professionals with full-time jobs. Treadwell focuses her research on how adults navigate disasters, intentional, accidental and naturally occurring, that hit campuses. For her dissertation, she interviewed chief student affairs officers at 11 colleges or universities nationwide that had experienced traumatic events. She found, among other things, that a great deal of learning happened after the disaster, as officers processed the experience and factored it into their practices. She also learned that, in the heat of crisis, student affairs officers focus on their students, always at the expense of their own wellbeing.  

TC Takeaway

Treadwell has high praise for the AEGIS program, particularly for the breadth of experience and knowledge encompassed by each cohort of students. “It really allowed me to broaden my horizons within the field of adult learning and leadership,” she says. “Our faculty members taught us so much about how to help people learn and grow, but they also eventually started treating me like the expert in my field. That was a powerful experience in itself.”

What’s Next

At the University of Kansas, Treadwell is now in charge of orientation, working with some 5,500 new students each summer. She also teaches a special section, for transfer students, of the university’s introduction course. With her doctorate, Treadwell hopes to become more involved in teaching, as well as research and publishing. She also hopes to devote herself to more policy and strategic planning at the university-wide level.

Published Friday, Aug 26, 2016