Participants remark that Gavin is an energetic and passionate speaker who has the ability to make complex topics such as equity-centered assessment and belonging on campus easy to understand.

Here are a few things others have said about his speaking:

“Dr. Gavin Henning delivered an engaging and impactful experience that redefined how we view assessment. He demonstrated that assessment is not about compliance or numbers, but about people, purpose, and student success. Through practical strategies and compelling examples, Gavin showed how equity-centered, collaborative practices can turn data into meaningful stories that drive institutional improvement. His approachable style and actionable insights left participants inspired and equipped to make assessment more human, more relevant, and more transformative. We highly recommend his work to any institution committed to fostering a culture of student-centered change.”
Deann Surdo
Director, Outcomes Assessment and Institutional Assessment
Harper College

“We wanted to express our gratitude for your captivating keynote address at Kean University’s inaugural Assessment Summit. Your insights and wisdom truly left a lasting impression on all of us in attendance. Your ability to distill assessment strategies into clear, actionable takeaways was remarkable and greatly appreciated.  Your keynote added tremendous value to our conference and as the day continued our presenters were able to bridge the information you provided into their own workshop sessions.”
Susan Ahern EdD
Acting Director, Office of Accreditation and Assessment
Kean University

“To support our growth and learning as assessment practitioners, our campus was seeking a professional development speaker who was not only an expert in the field, but would also understand our institutional context – Dr. Gavin Henning was the ideal fit for our needs.  His collegial, well-paced workshop sessions, tailored to address both our faculty and co-curricular staff’s interest in equity-centered assessment, offered detailed scholarship-based resources, while also providing practical and accessible strategies.  Participants described Dr. Henning’s day-long visit as “excellent”, “insightful”, “informative”, and “eye-opening”; we look forward to welcoming Dr. Henning back to campus to lead future workshops as we continue on our assessment journey.”
Jessica Greene PhD
Associate Vice Provost, Assessment & Accreditation
Boston College

“This year we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Gavin Henning as our keynote speaker to the Annual Student Affairs Assessment Symposium at the University at Albany. Dr. Henning’s presentation was insightful, informative, and reached an audience diverse in their knowledge of assessment and student learning. After his keynote, attendees understood that student affairs assessment is not just an activity, but a state of mind and is vital to the success of any Student Affairs division. One attendee stated that they left the conference with a “can do” attitude towards assessment because of Dr. Henning’s keynote. We would be happy to have Dr. Henning back in the future.”
Michael N. Christakis, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Success & Public Service Professor
University at Albany
NASPA Board Chair, 2025-2026

Recent keynote talks:

• New England Educational Assessment Network Fall Forum (November 2025)
• Assessment Institute in Indianapolis (October 2025)
• Harper College Assessment Conference (September 2025)
• Northern Arizona University Assessment Day (March 2024)
• SUNY Geneseo Assessment Conference (February 2024)
• National Symposium on Student Retention (October 2023)
• Kean University (October 2023)
• Boston College (September 2023)
• ACUHO-I Annual Conference (June 2023)
• ACPA Student Affairs Assessment Institute (June 2023)
• University of Connecticut Assessment Institute (May 2022)
• Assessment Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Keynote (October 2021)
• ACPA Institute on the Curricular Approach (December 2020)