Leading HR in higher education isn’t getting any simpler.
Budgets are tighter. Expectations are higher. And HR is increasingly the function institutions rely on for steadiness, clarity, and long-term thinking.
That’s why LEAP HR: Higher Education returns to Nashville in June 2026 as a trusted, senior forum where HR leaders come together to compare notes, challenge assumptions, and learn from peers who are navigating the same pressures. This year, the focus is clear: building resilience through people. Not as a concept, but as something leaders are actively working toward, in how HR operates, how leaders lead, and how institutions stay adaptable through ongoing change.
This year’s event brings together a senior group of CHROs and HR leaders who are actively redesigning how HR operates in higher education under sustained financial pressure, workforce strain, and rising expectations.
You’ll hear directly from leaders including:
- Sean Moeller, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Cornell University
- Warren Petty, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Howard University
- Donna Bonaparte, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Babson College
- Sheraine Gilliam, Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Stevens Institute of Technology
- Brian Dickens, Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Tennessee System
- Ramona Agrela, Senior Vice President & Vice Chancellor, Human Resources, University of California Irvine
- Lynne Adams, Associate Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
What makes our sessions different is their level of openness. Speakers share their real decisions behind centralizing HR, embedding AI responsibly, strengthening leadership pipelines, and delivering measurable cost savings, including what worked, what didn’t, and the trade-offs along the way.
If resilience and readiness are high on your list this year, I think you’ll find this a valuable room to be in.
Explore the Agenda
Dive into the real challenges reshaping higher education HR today. Learn from peer‑led case studies and discussions on academic workforce design, leadership pipelines, skills‑based hiring, and AI’s role in a constrained environment.
Partner With Us
Align your brand with the institutions driving change across higher education. Build meaningful relationships with senior HR leaders solving workforce complexity at scale.
Join Higher Education HR Leaders
Network with senior HR decision‑makers from across the sector. Share ideas, compare approaches, and leave with insight you can take straight back to campus.