2011 ASCA Conference - Closing Banquet Speaker

Larry D. Roper is Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Professor of Ethnic Studies at Oregon State University, a position he has held since 1995. From May 2007 to September 2008 he has served as Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. 

He has an undergraduate degree from Heidelberg College, Masters from Bowling Green State University, and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. He has held numerous positions in student affairs, including Director of Housing; Associate Dean of Students; Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs; and Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students. Larry currently teaches courses in Speech Communications, College Student Services Administration, Ethnic Studies, and the Doctoral Program in Community College Leadership. From 1999-2005 he served as the principle investigator and Project Director for a Kellogg Foundation grant for the Leadership for Institutional Change in Higher Education Initiative.

He currently serves on the NASPA Board of Directors and editorial section editor for the Journal of College and Character. Previously he served a 4-year term as Editor of the ­NASPA Journal and on several conference planning committees. Larry served as Program Chair of the 1997 joint ACPA/NASPA convention and Major Speakers chair for the 2007 joint meeting of ACPA and NASPA. He served as a Senior Scholar with the American College Personnel Association and now carries the designation of Senior Scholar Diplomate. He also served terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and six years as a Commissioner with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Commitment to community service has been shown through participation on Boards of Directors of such groups as the Community Alliance for Diversity, Aesthetic Education Institute; Center for Youth Services; Montgomery Neighborhood Center in Rochester, NY; Community Outreach, Inc. of Corvallis, OR; the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce; Community Alliance for Diversity, OSU Federal Credit Union; and United Way of Benton County, Oregon. Among community leadership experiences are Leadership Rochester, Safe School Climate Task Force, Mentoring Roundtable, Community-wide Initiative to Reduce Racial Polarization, City at Peace, Community Mobilization Against Violence, Community Advisory Board of WXXI (PBS affiliate), and numerous youth mentoring and volunteer activities. Larry served as President of the United Way of Benton County, Oregon, as well as Campaign Chair for their annual fund drive.