Dana Carnes Pursley
Director of Community Leadership and Involvement
Biography
Dana Carnes Pursley is a leadership educator committed to developing students who will create change by leading their organizations, communities, and the future. In her 15+ year career, Dana has worked in residence life, leadership education & development, campus organizations & student government, fraternity & sorority life, community service & civic engagement, and large-scale programming & campus traditions. Currently, Dana serves as the Director of the Alford Community Leadership and Involvement Center (CLIC). Prior to Denison, Dana served as the Associate Director of the Center for Leadership at Elon University in North Carolina. Dana has also worked at Wittenberg University and Otterbein University. Dana’s professional interests include student organization development, voter education & registration, hazing prevention, LGBTQIA+ support, and assessment.
Degree(s)
B.S., Heidelberg University; M.A., The Ohio State University
Works
Publications
- Holder, C., & Pursley, D. (2023). Centering relationships in collegiate leadership curricula. In M. Rocco & D. Pierre. (Eds.), Applying Theories And Models In Leadership Program & Curriculum Design, New Directions for Student Leadership, 2023, 49–59. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20580
- Bosch, M. A., & Pursley, D. (2019). Rising like a phoenix: One institution’s journey through trans and LGBTQIA inclusion. In G. Beemyn (Ed.), Trans people in higher education (pp. 279-295). New York, NY: SUNY Press.
- Carnes, D. (2015, June 9). A thank you letter from a first gen student. [NASPA Web blog post]. Retrieved from: https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/a-thank-you-letter-from-your-first-gen-student
Presentations
- Finch, J., Lee, J., Pursley, D., & Vandebrooke, K. (2025, September). Student affairs and retention: Progress and Perspectives. [webinar]. Ready Education.
- Pursley, D. (2025, July). Feels like home: Personalizing your homepage. Ready Inspire Conference, Orlando, FL.
- Boyle, G., Cooke, P., Curran, S., Tieman, C., & Pursley, D. (2025, July). New kids on the block: Primary administrators panel. Ready Inspire Conference, Orlando, FL.
- Tieman, C. & Pursley, D. (2025, July). Creating a community of champions. Ready Inspire Conference, Orlando, FL.
- Cirioni, F., Holloman, D., Pursley, D., & Whitehouse, F. (2024, June). Higher education trends and the impact on student engagement. [webinar]. Ready Education.
- Pursley, D. (2024, June). Meeting their needs: Identifying your role in supporting and supervising your unique team. NASPA Mid-Level Administrators Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
- Pursley, D. & Vermillion, E. (2024, June). IDEA for change: Infusing social justice into community/civic engagement and service. NASPA Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, Detroit, MI.
- Crews, D., Gutierrez, R., Mendoza, F., & Pursley, D. (2024, February). Welcome home: A panel discussion on new student programming. NACA National Convention, Pittsburgh, PA.
- Pursley, D. (2023, July). Hallmarks of the modern student experience. Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Leadership Institute, Columbus, OH.
- Pursley, D. & Vermillion, E. (2023, June). Creating and supporting intentional voter engagement plans executed by empowered student leaders. NASPA Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, Boston, MA.
- Pursley, D. & Young, K. (2023, March). Transitioning from a student leader to a student affairs professional. ACPA NextGen Institute, New Orleans, LA.
- Pursley, D., Takewell, W., Tugas, F., & Walson, N. (2021, February 8). Journey to student involvement [webinar]. ACPA Commission for Student Involvement.
Service
Professional Memberships
- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA)
- College Student Educators International (ACPA)
- National Clearinghouse of Leadership Programs (NCLP)
- Ohio College Personnel Association (OCPA)
- National Association for Campus Activities (NACA)
Other
Honors & Awards
- Heidelberg University’s Alumni Council Young Alumni Achievement Award (May 2025). Presented annually, the award recognizes a recent grad between their 5th and 20th class reunions that has demonstrated leadership abilities and achieved distinction in their field of employment and/or service to humankind.
- ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge - Standout Campus Nonpartisan Student Voting Group (November 2023). Presented biannually, DU Votes, received recognition for their exemplary leadership in helping advance undergraduate student democratic engagement, including nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation.
- Denison University Student Life Collaboration Award (May 2023). Presented annually to a Student Life professional for extraordinary service and contributions.
- ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge – Highest Voter Registration Rate (November 2021). Presented to the university with the highest voter registration rate during a Presidential election. Denison University registered 99.6% of eligible students to vote in 2020.
