Texas A&M Residence Life Welcomes Nearly 1,000 Guests for NACURH Annual Conference
Texas A&M University Residence Life hosted the 72nd NACURH Annual Conference, welcoming nearly 1,000 student leaders, advisors, sponsors and association representatives from across the United States and Canada to campus in College Station, TX.
On May 21 – 23, Texas A&M University Residence Life hosted the 72nd NACURH Annual Conference, welcoming nearly 1,000 student leaders, advisors, sponsors and association representatives from across the United States and Canada to campus in College Station, TX. For the Department of Residence Life, the event marked both an operational achievement and a proud opportunity to showcase Aggieland to a broad network of campus housing leaders.
NACURH, the National Association of College and University Residence Halls, is one of the leading organizations in student housing and residence life. Its mission is to equip residence hall leaders with the skills and resources to make a positive impact on their campus communities, and it connects institutions through leadership development, service, advocacy and community-building initiatives. Hosting the annual conference placed Texas A&M at the center of that work.
Planning for the conference spanned eight months and involved Residence Life staff and student leaders working across hospitality, programming, logistics, dining, transportation, marketing and operations. From Sunday through mid-Thursday, NACURH leadership convened in Hullabaloo Hall for legislative work, while the conference team prepared The Commons and other campus venues for guests.
The conference officially opened Thursday with welcomes from Associate Vice President and Dean of Students, Dr. Justin Jeffery, and Director of Residence Life, Dr. Kyle McCracken. They were followed by keynote speaker Darryl Bellamy, who focused on fear, uncertainty and taking action. Pre-conference offerings also included LeaderShape’s Catalyst program, campus tours and residence hall tours, giving visitors a fuller picture of the student experience at Texas A&M.
On Friday and Saturday, attendees took part in educational sessions and boardroom meetings in Rudder Tower and the Memorial Student Center. Session tracks covered topics such as community building, wellness, leadership development and operational excellence. The conference theme, “Trailblazers and Tradition-Makers,” carried through signature events including Regional Roll Call at Aggie Park and the closing awards ceremony.
Texas A&M received five awards as a result of hosting the conference. The university was recognized as a NACURH Conference Host Site, and four Silver Turtle pins were awarded to Fred Dillard, Thalita Da Silva Hotz, Brooke Errington and Dakota Steele for their contributions.
One attendee captured the spirit of the weekend in a comment shared with organizers: “Every single detail felt intentional, connected and straight from the heart.”
For Texas A&M Residence Life, that response reflects how A&M students and employees work together as a force for good, welcoming the NACURH community with excellence, hospitality and a little Aggie heart.
