Leadership | Student Affairs

Stuart Halsall

Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs

Stuart Halsall officially joined the University of Denver on May 1, 1999, and has since held leadership roles across several divisions, including Athletics and Recreation; Kennedy Mountain Campus, Wellness & Recreation; and Student Affairs. He currently serves as Vice Chancellor for the Division of Student Affairs.

With over two decades of experience in facilities management, sports and recreation, wellness, event planning, and student administration, Halsall is known for building high-performing teams, fostering strategic partnerships, and delivering innovative programs and services. He is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of achievement in higher education.

Throughout his tenure at the University of Denver, Halsall has played a pivotal role in numerous major initiatives and institutional milestones, including:

Opening of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports & Wellness
Leadership for the 2006 Peace Jam
Leadership for the 2012 Presidential Debate hosted at DU
Expansion of the Ritchie Center, including:
- Barton Lacrosse Stadium
- Soccer Stadium
- Pat Bowlen Training Center
- Diane Wendt Sports Fields
- Coors Fitness Center
Transition of the University of Denver Golf Club in Highlands Ranch, CO
Development of the Denver Tennis Park through a public-private partnership
Opening and expansion of the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus in Red Feather Lakes, CO

Halsall is committed to positioning the Division of Student Affairs as one of the most innovative and entrepreneurial in the nation, serving both the campus and the broader Denver community. Under his leadership, the divisions he has overseen have earned numerous national, regional, and local awards, recognizing their excellence and leadership within the profession.

Halsall holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with a minor in Coaching from James Madison University and a Master of Science in Sports Management from Indiana University. He has served on several boards, including:

National Intramural Recreational Sports Association
Denver Children’s Home
Denver Sports Commission
Porter Hospital Board

Originally from Aughton, England, Halsall is the son of Don and Ada Halsall. He moved to the United States in 1990 after being recruited from the Great Britain American Football National Team, which he captained. He and his wife, Mariel, reside in Denver with their three children: Kieran, Josephine, and Tristan.

Outside of his professional life, Halsall is passionate about rugby, football, leadership, outdoor adventure, wellness, and is a devoted supporter of Liverpool Football Club.

Meghan C. Dimsa, EdD

Executive Director of External Relations and Strategic Initiatives

Meg Dimsa is the Executive Director of External Relations and Strategic Initiatives for Student Affairs at the University of Denver, where she leads cross-campus strategy, partnerships, and storytelling to advance student well-being and engagement. She brings 22+ years across health promotion, student engagement, operations, major events, budgeting, and inclusive team leadership. Previously, she led Campus Recreation, Health & Wellness at Georgetown University and held leadership roles at the University of Missouri. Her work centers on proactive, equity-minded approaches to mental health and well-being, the role of physical activity in student success, and disciplined project management.

Education: B.S., West Virginia University; M.Ed., Bowling Green State University; M.A., Georgetown University; Ed.D., Creighton University; EMBA, University of Denver. She is a certified project manager with additional national credentials in health, wellness, and coaching.

Niki Latino

Dean of Students & Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs & Inclusive Excellence

Dr. Niki Latino is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs at the University of Denver. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees at DU. Her PhD is in higher education teaching and learning, with specialties in inclusive leadership and inclusive excellence. She has taught at DU, at the graduate and undergraduate levels and serves on graduate student research committees. Her passion is creating inclusive learning environments and equitable access to learning for all students

Tamara White, Ph.D

Associate Dean of Students

Tamara D. White, Ph.D. currently serves as Associate Dean of Students for the division of Student Affairs at the University of Denver. Dr. White formerly served as the Vice President of Enrollment Services and Student Success at Front Range Community College, the Dean of Students at the Community College of Aurora, and the Director of Admission and Access Policy for the Colorado Department of Higher Education. She spent most of her professional career in higher education, serving in roles in student life, multicultural affairs, leadership, and residence life. Dr. White earned her doctorate in higher education from the University of Denver. She has two children, a 19-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter.

Michael J. LaFarr

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Health & Wellness

Dr. Michael LaFarr earned his BA in Education from Johnson State College in 1993, his MA in Higher Education from the University of Denver in 2008, and his PsyD in Clinical Psychology from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology in 2010. Previously Michael was the Executive Director of Health and Wellness at Brandeis University and was also the former Director of Student Affairs at the Harvard School of Public Health. Michael served in the Peace Corps of the United States, working in Education and Health Promotion in Mali, West Africa. His professional interests include health care disparity & access, health and wellness, college mental health, differences in learning, grief counseling, giftedness, psychodynamic treatment, sexual therapy, non-majority sexual orientation & transgender mental health.

Shana Alston

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Housing & Residential Education

Shana provides strategic leadership for residential education, campus housing operations, off-campus housing, and campus dining services. Shana strives to enhance both the student and staff experience while improving housing administrative and operational processes by significantly advancing residential educational experience, enhancing housing technology, growing staff development opportunities, strategic communication, and hiring & recruitment processes. Shana holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and a Master’s of Science degree in Educational Counseling from Monmouth University. She has worked at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Monmouth University, Philadelphia University (Thomas Jefferson University- East Falls), and Temple University during her professional career. Shana values professional involvement and is also an active member of ACUHO-I. She is the past Chair of the ACUHO-I Foundation.

Chris Roby

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Engagement & 4D Experience

Chris joins us most recently after 15 years at Duke University, where he served as the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Executive Director of University Center Activities and Events. Chris is a proven leader in bringing talented staff together in support of the student experience, and in intentionally developing signature community-building spaces with the goal of creating engaged, inclusive spaces for all students to learn, grow, and thrive.

Chris comes to us with 32 years of experience in Student Affairs, with an extensive portfolio in student activities, strategic planning, facilities and renovation planning, budget management, and extensive work building strong, cohesive teams and engaging diverse students and staff. As Assistant Vice President at Duke, Chris led a comprehensive department including the student involvement and student engagement teams, conference and event services, venue and production management, UCAE’s finance and administration unit, as well as the division’s strategic communications and professional development team. Previous to his time at Duke, Chris led teams at Florida State University, the University of Miami, and Eckerd College, holding roles as union director as well as director of student activities and leadership programs, and as an assistant dean of students.

Chris also has an extensive facilities management portfolio, having been responsible for Duke’s Campus Center complex, Art Centers, Performance and Theater Venues, and non-residential facilities, and at Florida State, providing oversight for the Oglesby Union Complex as well as the Student Life Building, Student Services Building, and the Flying High Circus (yes, a literal circus—ask him about it sometime).

When he is not in the office, Chris enjoys collecting and creating art, antiquing, and getting out and exploring new parks and hiking trails with his family.

Lori Gordon

Associate Vice Chancellor, Business, Operations and Division Resources

Lori joins the University of Denver after serving at Northwestern University for nearly 15 years and 1.5 years at Duke University. At Northwestern, she started in the Office of Budget and Planning with a portfolio that included Residential Services, Dining, Facilities and Capital Planning. She joined the Kellogg School of Management (KSM) where she was an Associate Director of Facilities and worked on renovations of the Allen Center and closely with the Executive Education team. Early 2016 Lori was promoted to the Executive Director of Business and Finance for the Division of Student Affairs. Lori led a team of Student Affairs colleagues that presented at Northwestern Universities’ Best Practices Forum demonstrating how Tableau could be effectively used for more efficient dashboard development supporting both information sharing and leadership decisions. In 2018 she was awarded Northwestern Student Affairs Stewardship Award. Lori joined the Duke University Student Affairs team where she served as the Division Chief Financial Officer for Student Affairs as the university emerged from the pandemic. Prior to her career in higher education, Lori worked in various finance, planning, and purchasing roles across PepsiCo, Sara Lee, Brinker International and Thompson Reuters. Lori received her Bachelor of Science in Engineering Geology from Texas A&M University and a master’s in business administration from the University of Tennessee. She is a member of NACUBO and SHRM. Lori enjoys visiting her daughter, Audrey, in Austin and son, Jack, at CU-Boulder; her husband and two dogs in Chicago and jogging, hiking, motorcycling and playing golf (albeit not very well).