Lilian Gonzalez

Biography

Lilian Gonzalez serves as the assistant vice chancellor of student life at Northeastern University’s Oakland campus. In this role, she oversees a comprehensive portfolio that includes housing and residential life, wellness services, student support services, disability access services, conduct and community standards, and the campus-wide on-call crisis response operation. Through this work, she advances Northeastern’s mission to create inclusive, student-centered environments that prioritize well-being, belonging, and holistic success.

As assistant vice chancellor, Gonzalez leads part of the strategic vision for student life in Oakland, aligning residential and co-curricular experiences with the university’s global network. She partners across academic and administrative units to strengthen student support structures, deliver high-impact wellness and accessibility initiatives, and ensure that residential communities foster meaningful connections, safety, and engagement. Her leadership in crisis response has been critical in designing protocols that center student care while maintaining institutional accountability and operational consistency.

Gonzalez plays a key role in cultivating collaboration across the Northeastern system and within the San Francisco Bay Area community. She works closely with colleagues in Boston and Silicon Valley to coordinate housing and student services, align policies, and enhance the intercampus student experience. Locally, she engages with public safety, facilities, finance, and external partners to deliver a student life framework that is proactive, equitable, and resilient. 

Previously, Gonzalez served as associate dean of students, where she directed crisis management efforts, student support services, and wellness initiatives. In that role, she advanced equity-minded policies and built cross-functional teams to address the evolving needs of a diverse student body. Her leadership emphasized proactive intervention, restorative approaches to conduct, and the integration of wellness into the core of the student experience. 

In addition to her higher education leadership, Lilian is a mental health clinician and maintains a private practice serving young professionals of color navigating corporate environments. Her clinical expertise informs her student affairs leadership, grounding her approach in trauma-informed practices, developmental frameworks, and a deep commitment to inclusive well-being.

Gonzalez’ professional work is guided by a belief that student life is central to the academic mission: fostering spaces where students feel supported, engaged, and empowered to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Mills College and holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of San Francisco. She brings to Northeastern more than a decade of experience in higher education administration, student support, and clinical practice, and is widely recognized for her collaborative leadership and student-centered vision.