Finding Her Path in Higher Education

Dorothy Kempson

Dorothy Kempson has been connected to the Armstrong Campus for nearly 20 years. Since enrolling as an undergraduate, she has earned four degrees from the University.

“I started out as a student worker in 1999, and I loved helping students navigate through the acceptance process and helping them with their educational needs while attending Armstrong,” she said. “I realized then that I had a passion for working in higher education so I decided to pursue a degree in adult education.”

Currently, Kempson is the director of Georgia Southern University Liberty Campus. In that role, she oversees the planning, operation and fiscal administration of the Campus, including the oversight of the daily administrative tasks necessary for the efficient operation of a variety of educational programs, student services and facilities management.

“A typical day…what’s that? I enjoy providing an environment for students to be able to reach their educational goals,” she said. “I have an incredible staff that believes in fostering student success. I have a great relationship with community partners in Liberty County. They are very supportive of the work that Georgia Southern’s Liberty Campus is doing to educate the citizens in Liberty and surrounding counties.”

Kempson is a Wisconsin native who was a police officer during her service in the U.S. Army. She moved to Hinesville with her husband who has retired from the military. In addition to serving as director, she is the co-advisor of the Armstrong Student Veterans Association and advisor of the Liberty Campus Student Council. Kempson said she enjoys interacting with students and working closely with community partners to meet the educational needs of students, veterans, soldiers and their families.

“Georgia Southern as a whole is a military-friendly university, and we go out of our way to accommodate our military students as well as our veterans,” Kempson said. “We operate as a one-stop shop for our active-duty and military-affiliated students, which means we try to provide all the services that they need at one campus. We actually just won recognition for exemplary service through active duty military veterans support services and activities. That was from the University System of Georgia 2018 Adult Learner Symposium “Building Momentum.”

Giving Back

Kempson is also an active Armstrong alumna who said it is important for her to give back to the university that inspired her career in higher education.

“Attending Armstrong not only provided me with a strong educational background but it gave me the tools needed to become an effective leader,” she said. “I will always be grateful to the amazing faculty who instilled their wisdom and personal experiences that help mold me into the leader I am today.”

— Sandra Bennett

Kempson’s Four Degrees From Armstrong

2014 M.A., Professional Communication and Leadership
2006 M.Ed., Adult Education
2002 B.S., Criminal Justice
2000 A.A., Associate of Arts