Robin Mitchell Stroud

Robin Mitchell Stroud, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) | Director of Student Engagement Programs | USC Office of Religious & Spiritual Life

Robin Mitchell Stroud is the Director of Student Engagement Programs for the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at the University of Southern California. As director, Dr. Stroud is responsible for working with DEI/wellness coordinators and programs on campus to cultivate spiritual wellbeing, providing programs that help increase religious and spiritual literacy, and collaborating with partners to expand on-campus religious-based food offerings. She also supports USC religious, spiritual and philosophical student organizations; collaborates with campus partners working to increase belonging, befriending, and community-building; and serves as ORSL liaison to Student Affairs and university wellness committees.

Stroud earned her doctor of philosophy in education from the University of Oklahoma where she specialized in educational gender studies and religion and education. She also holds a bachelor of arts degree in psychology, master of arts degrees in human relations and educational studies, and a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies. While completing her doctoral work, she served as a graduate teaching assistant for the Religious Studies and Educational Studies departments as well as an adjunct instructor for the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in the OU Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education.

Her research interests lie in the intersections of gender, religion, and education. She’s particularly interested in working with students who have experienced high control groups and supporting them in their spiritual transformation journeys. If this sounds like you, drop her a line, visit Dr. Stroud in the University Religious Center (room 201-B), or check out some of her work on the subject. She’d love to hear from you!

Previously, Dr. Stroud served as an assistant vice president at The University of Oklahoma, where part of her work focused on such strategic initiatives and projects as graduation and retention, summer enrollments and programs, student and employee experiences and satisfaction, Latinx and International student initiatives, digital initiatives, wellness programs, town/gown relationships, housing and dining initiatives, and savings and efficiencies initiatives.

She has served as president of the Oklahoma Educational Studies Association as well as chair of the Commission on Ministry in Higher Education for the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. A committed community advocate, Dr. Stroud is a longtime member of the Norman Community After School Program Board of Directors, was a coach and team manager for the Norman Youth Soccer Association, and judge for State of Oklahoma and national Lincoln-Douglas Debate tournaments. 

She lives in Inglewood with her husband, Clarke Stroud, USC Director of Football Operations, and their two sons August and Callahan.