Roger Williams University’s John J. King Receives National NASPA Award for Student Affairs Leadership

January 16, 2026By Jordan J. Phelan '19

Vice President for Student Life John J. King, who has served Roger Williams University since 2004, has been named the 2026 recipient of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators' Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean.

BRISTOL, R.I. -Vice President for Student Life John J. King has been named the 2026 recipient of the Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Deanby the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators(NASPA). The designation is one of the organization's highest national honors recognizing sustained excellence in student affairs leadership.

King was first recognized for his leadership in November, when he received Region I's Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Chief Student Affairs Officer.

Named for NASPA's founding Chair of the Board of Directors Scott Goodnight, the award honors senior student affairs leaders who demonstrate sustained professional achievement, innovative responses to students' evolving needs, effectiveness in developing staff, and leadership within both campus and community life. Recipients are also recognized for earning the respect of students, faculty, and administrators, and for contributing meaningfully to the student affairs profession through scholarship and professional service.

"Being recognized on the regional and national level for my work as a chief student affairs officer is humbling and only possible because of the support and trust of the talented staff and colleagues I have had the privilege to work with," King said. "However, our work is always centered on the student experience - through their engagement and development as individuals, community members, and leaders."

Vice President for Student Life John J. King celebrates Region I's Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Chief Student Affairs Officer alongside Associate Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Derek Zuckerman and NASPA presenters.

King's career in student affairs spans four decades. He was appointed Assistant Dean of Students at the College of the Holy Cross in 1986 before joining Stonehill College in 1992 as Director of Residence Life. He later served as their Associate Dean and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs for 12 years while also contributing to institutional master, strategic, and enrollment planning initiatives.

Since assuming his current role at Roger Williams University in 2004, King has led a comprehensive Student Life division serving approximately 3,600 students. During his tenure, he twice provided interim leadership for Enrollment Management, cultivated philanthropic support for athletic and student facility projects and scholarships, and strengthened partnerships that connect the university with the broader Bristol and Portsmouth communities. He also serves as the university's liaison to the Town of Bristol.

King played a central leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic, serving as the senior administrator responsible for coordinating and managing the university's comprehensive response. He has also remained deeply engaged in campus life, from student leadership development to athletics and service initiatives.

Vice President for Student Life John J. King speaks at the 2016 Commencement ceremony at the Bristol campus.

Now in his final year as vice president at RWU, King said the recognition has offered a moment to consider the breadth of his work in student affairs and the relationships that have defined it. Throughout his 42-year career, he has been known for a leadership style grounded in being visible and accessible on campus, an approach that has shaped how Student Life has partnered across the university to support inclusion and belonging.

"This being my last year at Roger Williams, I have naturally been reflecting on the continual progress of the university, the opportunity to work with the talented senior leadership team that President Miaoulis has cultivated, and the amazing paths our graduating seniors have taken as alumni," he said. "Being able to witness that growth year after year is a blessing, and one I don't take for granted."

In his acceptance remarks to NASPA, King emphasized the profession's collective responsibility to students and to one another.

"NASPA is not merely a professional organization. It is a community, an inclusive island of inspiration and solidarity for purpose amidst rough seas and changing currents," he said. "We all need to communicate and navigate together on behalf of our students' success."

King will formally receive the national Scott Goodnight Award at NASPA's 2026 annual conference in March, joining a distinguished group of higher education leaders recognized for advancing the field of student affairs through principled leadership, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to student success.