Justin Samuel

Dr. Justin Samuel is a nationally-recognized student affairs administrator. He currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. He also holds two faculty appointments at UT Austin: as Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy (College of Education) and as Assistant Professor of Practice in the Division of Pharmacy Practice (College of Pharmacy). In 2018, Dr. Samuel became a Qualified Administrator for the Intercultural Development Inventory®, and in 2022, he became a Gallup® Certified Strengths Coach.

Dr. Samuel earned a B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from The Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from The University of Texas at Austin. Originally from Houston, Texas, Dr. Samuel directly serves many students in advising roles separate from his professional position. Dr. Samuel has served as a mentor for the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP) since 2015, and he had the privilege of serving on the faculty of NASPA's Dungy Leadership Institute in 2018 and NASPA's APIDA Leadership Academy in 2023. He is currently serving a third consecutive term on the national board of NASPA's Asian Pacific Islanders Knowledge Community (APIKC).

An award-winning presenter both locally and nationally, Dr. Samuel has spoken widely on topics related to identity, personality, and leadership. As a student affairs professional, he has received SWACUHO Top Program Awards in both 2013 and 2014, UT Arlington Leadership Center's Meyers Medallion in 2013, Ohio State's Emerging Professional Award in 2015, UT Austin's Complex Coordinator of the Year Award in 2016, UT Austin's Asian/Asian American Faculty and Staff Association's RAISE Award in 2016, UT Austin's Division of Student Affairs Texas Parents Staff Merit Award in 2019, and NASPA APIKC's Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award in 2019. Dr. Samuel is also a recipient of the Dr. Bill Lasher Doctoral Student Excellence Award from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at UT Austin.

Dr. Samuel's teaching interests include student affairs in higher education, college student development theories, research design theories, and leadership development. His research interests include college student identity development, personal branding for student leaders, and work/life integration for student affairs administrators. His dissertation research involved a phenomenological inquiry of South Asian American college students' sense of belonging related to identity intersectionality. His hobbies include photography, personal branding, public speaking, foreign films, mindfulness, and travel.

Dr. Samuel is accepting master student advisees.