Dr. Josie Ahlquist is a student affairs educator, discovering the intersection of digital communication technologies and leadership development in higher education. She believes in challenging how higher education thinks about social media for community building, leadership development and student services.

Josie received her EdD from California Lutheran University doctoral program, studying higher education leadership. She is an alumna of Northern Arizona University with a Masters degree in Counseling and holds undergraduate degrees from South Dakota State University, where she double-majored in Sociology and Human Development and Family Studies.

Josie's research is grant funded and award winning. Her dissertation was on college student leaders and their behaviors and experiences with social media. Utilizing a mixed methodology she sought out an understanding and definition of digital student leadership and produced six pillars of digital student leadership education. She also conducted a study on Student Affairs Senior Level Administrators who are high users of social media, which produced a Digital Leadership Framework and Digital Decision Making Model in Higher Ed.

She is very attuned to the landscape of higher education and is passionate about developing leadership capacity of college students, as well as administrators. She brings over a decade of experience in the field of higher education in areas such as student activities, campus recreation, student unions, marketing, residence life, judicial affairs, student leadership and new student orientation. Currently has served as adjunct faculty at Florida State University, teaching undergraduate and masters level courses.

As an international leadership speaker represented by Bass/Schuler Entertainment Agency, Josie has trained thousands of student leaders and higher education professionals. Her vision is to provide a digital remix on how to empower leaders of the 21st century. Her presentations balance between education and entertainment, using high energy and interaction along with learning outcomes and attendee reflection. From New York University-Abu Dhabi to Texas A&M, she has spoken to a variety of campuses around the world sharing the message of digital leadership.

Josie is committed to advancing research, knowledge and skill around technology for higher education faculty and administrative leadership. She has served on the 2014 NASPA (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) Technology Summit and current is the NASPA Technology Knowledge Community Emerging Practices Coordinator. Recently Josie was appointed to the ACPA (American College Personnel Association) President’s Task Force on Digital Technology, co-chairing the Research and Scholarship team. She has also provided education in the following countries, United States, Canada, Mexico and United Arab Emirates.

For the third year in a row she has been named to the “Top 50 Must Read Higher Education Technology Blogs” by Ed Tech Magazine. As a writer, she is a co-author in the Handbook of Student Affairs Administration textbook, writing the chapter on Computer-Mediated Communication and Social Media. She is also published in The Journal of Leadership Studies, in a thought piece called Trending Now: Digital Leadership Education using Social Media and the Social Change Model. She is also a co-editor and author in New Directions in Student Services, “Engaging the Digital Generation.” Finally, Josie is a co-editor and author in the upcoming release of New Directions in Student Leadership, " Going Digital in Student Leadership."