Adrienne D. White
Adrienne D. White
Instructor
Transfer students, sense of belonging, student success, retention, first-year experience, and college student development
Dr. Adrienne D. White serves as Vice President for Student Affairs at Germanna Community College, where she provides executive leadership for the college’s student affairs division and advances strategies designed to strengthen student success, engagement, retention, and the overall student experience. A student-centered higher education leader, Dr. White is committed to building integrated systems of support that help students navigate college successfully and create environments where they can thrive.
Dr. White brings more than 15 years of experience in higher education spanning student affairs, student success, academic support, organizational leadership, and institutional change. Prior to joining Germanna, she served as Dean of Students and Chief Student Affairs Officer at Mount St. Mary’s University, where she oversaw a broad portfolio of student life and support functions and served as a member of the President’s Cabinet. She previously spent nine years at George Mason University, including serving as Director of Student Success Coaching, where she led a team of more than 30 professionals supporting thousands of students annually and helped develop and advance innovative approaches to student success, retention, and transfer student support.
A nationally engaged scholar-practitioner, Dr. White’s work focuses on student success, sense of belonging, transfer students, success coaching, organizational change, and leadership development. She is a co-founder and former co-chair of the NASPA Success Coaching Knowledge Community and contributed to the development of a national definition of student success coaching. She has presented nationally on student success and higher education leadership and continues to serve as an affiliate faculty member in George Mason University’s Higher Education Program.
Dr. White earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from George Mason University, where her research examined sense of belonging among transfer students. Her leadership philosophy centers on creating student-centered systems, strengthening collaboration across institutional boundaries, using data to inform improvement, and ensuring that organizational structures ultimately serve the students they were designed to support.
Germanna Community College Email: awhite@germanna.edu
Selected Publications
Correa, K. & White, A. (2024). Success coaching in higher education: An emerging practice. NASPA Knowledge Community Journal (pp. 43-45). NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education https://www.naspa.org/files/dmfile/2024-NASPA-Knowledge-Community-Publication.pdf
White, A., Gaston, W., Hodges, M., Schott, S. (2021). Reimagining holistic support through student success coaching. Orientation, Transition, and Retention Knowledge Community Blog.
Thompson, A. D. & Dubert, E. (2017). Intervention strategies for at-risk off-campus students. E-Source for College Transitions. 14(2), 11 – 13.
Grants and Fellowships
Mason Grant Submission Team (2024). Access to Excellence Outreach Initiative. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Pell Initiative.
Holmes, K., Thompson, A.D., Agbeshie-Noye, I. (2018). Perceptions of sense of belonging in transfer students. Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education. 2018 – 2019 Catalyst Grant Recipients
Courses Taught
George Mason University, Higher Education 685: Practicum
The practicum course provided Masters students enrolled in the Higher Education Program with a supervised on-the-job experience in an approved college or university setting or public agency involved in higher education, while having the opportunity to develop skills applicable to postsecondary research, teaching, administration, or policy.
George Mason University, University 421: Senior Transition – College to Grad School
Topics covered include preparation for graduate school, meaning the components of an application (essay, resume, interview) as well as identifying programs and financing continued education. Self-exploration and occupational research to help students decide if a graduate degree is right for them and fits into their career plan.
George Mason University, University 100: Introduction to Mason (Off-Campus Student and Out-of-State Student Sections)
Topics covered include academic success, stress management, leadership, financial management, adjusting to college, communication skills, diversity awareness, campus involvement, major and career exploration.
Virginia Commonwealth University, Returning Resident Assistant Seminar
Indiana University, U450: Foundations for Leadership
Guest Lectures
Higher Education 644: Management and Administration of Student Services, Topics covered: developing partnerships between academic and student affairs
Higher Education 702: Organization and Administration in Higher Education, Topics covered: navigating institutional change
Higher Education Capstone, Topics covered: transfer student success, career development
Higher Education 644: Management and Administration of Student Services, Topics covered: success coaching in higher education, student success strategies
Recent Presentations
*White, A. (2025, December). Expanding access, demonstrating impact: Insights from the Bettermynd partner collective. Bettermynd Partner Masterclass. Virtual.
White, A., Ward. M., Hediger, S., Wickham, F. (2024, March). Creating and implementing strategic plans: A departmental perspective. NASPA Annual Conference. Seattle, WA.
*Easton, D., Morel, H., Collins, K., White, A., Correa, K. (2023, October). Student success coaching panel: Building and implementing success coaching programs in higher education. NASPA Success Coaching Knowledge Community Panel. Virtual.
White, A., Pegg, A., Cosby, G. (2023, June). Rethinking supervision in 2023. University Life Student Success Symposium. Fairfax, VA.
Machuga, C., Lorentson, S., White, A., Bunting, A. (2023, April). The care network – Blending human and technological ecosystems for dynamic student support. NASPA Annual Conference. Baltimore, MD.
White, A., Dubert, E., Schott, S., Cozzolino-Artiga, S. (2022, March). Coaching contemporary students for success. NASPA Annual Conference. Baltimore, MD.
*White, A., Gaston, W., Hodges, M., Schott, S. (2021, September). Reimagining holistic support through student success coaching. Orientation, Transition, and Retention Knowledge Community Webinar. NASPA. Virtual.
*White, A. (2021, May). Developing, engaging, and motivating your team now and in the future panel. University Life Student Success Symposium. Virtual.
*White, A. (2021, March). Tau Sigma Keynote Address. Tau Sigma Induction Ceremony. Virtual.
*White, A. (2021, March). Finding your resilient-self in college. United Social Justice Workshop. Virtual.
Thompson White, A. & Campbell, S. (2021, March). Lessons learned: Instituting a campus wide training program for success coaching. NASPA Annual Conference. Virtual.
Berry, I., Harris, T.N., Bullard, D., Thompson White, A. (2021, March). It takes a village: Institutional collaborations to support student success. NASPA Annual Conference. Virtual.
Clifton, S., Dilley, T., Thompson White, A. (2021, March). The golden circle of success coaching: Reimagining holistic student support. NASPA Annual Conference. Virtual.
Thompson White, A., Lorentson, S. S., & Berry, I. (2020, October) Collaborating in change management to support student success through coaching and advising. NACADA Annual Conference. Virtual.
*Thompson White, A.D. & Dubert, E. (2020, September). Supporting transfer students during the era of COVID-19. NODA Webinar.
*indicates invited presentation or panelist