Nearly 300 housing professionals gathered in Dayton, Ohio, for the annual Great Lakes Association of College and University Housing Officers (GLACUHO) conference, and Michigan State University did not simply attend – Spartans led.
From elected leadership roles to award-winning presentations, MSU’s Residence Education and Housing Services (REHS) team made its mark across the region. Beyond recognition and accolades, the conference offered Spartans a space to grow, connect and find a professional home beyond campus.
What is GLACUHO?
Each year, housing professionals from across the Great Lakes region gather to share ideas, sharpen leadership skills and strengthen their work on college campuses. GLACUHO serves as a regional professional organization for housing and residence life staff, offering leadership opportunities, professional development, committee service and an annual conference.
This year’s conference, held Nov. 9–11, centered on the theme, Fortifying Our Future. The event opened with a contemporary issues keynote, a banquet and an inclusion and equity social. Attendees met with their state representatives serving on the GLACUHO board, explored an exhibitor fair featuring housing-related vendors and participated in business meetings that guide the association’s initiatives. Over three days, participants attended more than 100 educational sessions and connected with colleagues from across the region.
Representing MSU
Nine MSU professionals attended the conference this year, with four serving on GLACUHO’s leadership team.
Alison Sinadinos serves as the committee chair delegate. Caroline Murray serves as Campus Safety and Crisis Management committee chair. Jim Steingreaber serves as Facilities and Operations committee chair. Jackie Charette serves as Contemporary Issues committee chair.
Several MSU staff members also presented educational sessions, including Sinadinos, Murray, Charette, Facilities Manager Heather Whitman and Facilities Supervisor Cara Jackson.
MSU professionals earned multiple honors at the conference. Assistant Director of Residence Education Allysa Johnson received the Willie J. Young Sr. Outstanding Commitment to Inclusion and Equity Award. Charette won the top ten program. Eddie Nguyen-Koelzer received the GLACUHO Service Award, one of the association’s highest honors. Whitman and Jackson received the Mary Smith Women’s Issue Award on behalf of the Women in Facilities ERG they lead, and Murray received the Great Lakes All Star Session (GLASS) award for the highest-rated program at the conference.
“It’s really exciting for me to have other colleagues who are really passionate about the association as well as for us [GLACUHO] to show how great MSU is and show off our great colleagues and highlight the work we’re doing,” said Sinadinos.
A Professional Home Beyond Campus
Sinadinos, who joined MSU this year, has been involved with GLACUHO for nearly 15 years. She first attended the conference as a resident assistant at Western Illinois University and quickly sought out committee roles and leadership opportunities.
Now serving her second year as committee chair delegate, she advises committee chairs, supports recruitment and evaluation processes, and connects members, committees and the board of directors. She recently helped shape the association’s winter meeting experience and continues to work on expanding leadership pathways for members.
Sinadinos credits GLACUHO with opening professional doors, including her journey to MSU. She said the association serves as another professional home with development opportunities that are beneficial to her career.
“I’m at MSU because of GLACUHO,” Sinadinos said. “It connects you. It helps you find places to work and new things to be passionate about. If you invest in it, it can open a lot of doors.”
The conference also provided space for honest conversations about the current climate in higher education. As institutions navigate policy changes and evolving pressures, attendees focused on sustaining the housing profession during uncertainty.
“Our focus is to keep doing the work even when it’s hard,” Sinadinos said. “I felt really accomplished and really rejuvenated by the sessions I attended. The conference always gives me more energy to keep on doing the work, and it reminds me that the challenges we’re facing aren’t unique. We have colleagues across the region we can lean on.”
Empowering Women In Facilities
GLACUHO’s impact extends beyond residence education. Facilities professionals also found a platform to elevate their work.
Whitman has worked in facilities for 12 years and attended her second GLACUHO conference this year. She said the association provides valuable visibility for facilities professionals in a housing-forward space.
Whitman and Jackson presented, “Laying the Foundation for Tomorrow: Women in REHS Facilities,” highlighting the Women in Facilities Employee Resource Group at MSU they founded alongside Brittney Sprague and Tracy Ryan. The ERG fosters mentorship, leadership development, and open dialogue among women and allies in facilities. The founders (Jackson, Whitman, Sprague, Ryan) received the Mary Smith Women’s Issue Award for their efforts.
Each ERG event begins with, “What is said here, stays here; what is learned here, leaves here,” a sentiment meant to level the playing field, open discussion to unbiased and nonjudgmental dialogue. The events they’ve hosted include but are not limited to topics of misogyny, sexism and chauvinism, breast cancer awareness, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a resume workshop, a self-defense workshop, an organic farm tour, yoga, nutrition, domestic violence and perimenopause/menopause in the workplace.
Whitman said the initiative has already inspired growth among staff, including one employee who regularly attended sessions, later became a supervisor and has since presented at conferences.
“I am very passionate about trying to be a really good leader instead of just being a manager,” Whitman said. “Leaders are people-forward. It comes down to really listening to what our staff is saying because being a leader is a lifelong learning experience.”
Whitman described her GLACUHO experience in one word: empowering.
“MSU has empowered us to be their representative in the good they’re bringing to the community, along with their pride and confidence,” said Whitman.
Sinadinos echoed that pride.
“It’s an incredible initiative [Women in Facilities ERG] on our campus, and I was really proud of those folks,” said Sinadinos. “Being newer to MSU, it gives me pride in our institution to show up to the association and show the great work we’re doing. It feels really special.”
Managing Work-Life Balance
Murray, now in her fifth year at MSU and third year as community director for Case Hall, supervises graduate staff, supports student behavior intervention, navigates roommate conflicts and oversees residential programming (coffee bars, bingo nights, education programs, bulletin boards, and more).
“I love being a community director at MSU because I believe in the possibility that residence life has to have an impact on how students define and achieve success. There are so many learning moments, connection opportunities and transformational experiences that come as a result of living in a community on campus.”
As Campus Safety and Crisis Management committee chair, Murray leads projects that support housing professionals across the region, including publishing articles in GLACUHO’s Trends magazine and developing an annual dungeons-and-dragons-themed tabletop training scenario. She also helped revamp a regional roommate conflict guide to include mediation strategies, parent communication guidance and FERPA considerations.
Murray remembers attending her first GLACUHO conference in 2022, feeling intimidated and uncertain about her future in housing. Over time, she found mentorship with Eddie Nguyen-Koelzer, the associate director of Residence Education for Training and Development at MSU, and committee service.
“I’m really surprised how sitting next to Eddie at a business meeting has really changed the trajectory of my career,” said Murray.
This year, she presented, “Navigating the Social Landscape of Residence Life,” a personal session on building healthy work-life boundaries, prioritizing workplace credibility over social capital and creating a life outside of work. Murray explored the complexities of being a live-in professional and managing social dynamics with colleagues. She shared how embracing her home, East Lansing, by joining a pottery studio and starting a coffee club allowed her to build a life beyond her career without devaluing her work.
Each year, Murray has attended a GLACUHO, she’s won a top 10 award for her programs. This year, attendees voted her session as the highest-rated program of the conference, earning the GLASS Award.
“For me, this presentation was a really big capstone and a lot of big lessons I’ve learned and have supported my success here at MSU,” said Murray. “I was very surprised and honored. It meant the world to me to win that award, especially the topic being so personal to me. Every time I return to GLACUHO, I feel affirmed.”
GLACUHO 2026
Next year, GLACUHO will be hosted in Lansing, from Nov. 1–3, under the theme Adapt, Advocate, Advance, offering even more Spartans the opportunity to engage with the association.
This year’s conference showed what happens when Spartans step beyond campus, they mentor, innovate, empower and elevate the profession.
MSU’s presence at GLACUHO reflected more than awards and titles. It showcased a culture of mentorship and leadership that extends beyond campus. For some, the conference affirmed years of professional growth. For others, it provided a platform to elevate behind-the-scenes work or share deeply personal lessons. For all, it reinforced the value of connection.
Learn more about GLACUHO at glacuho.org.
Author: Olivia Williams