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Join us in welcoming Dr. Liz Gross as the 2026 Midwest First-Year Conference keynote speaker!
Dr. Liz Gross
Dr. Liz Gross
Dr. Liz Gross is higher education’s most trusted voice in social intelligence, and an award-winning speaker, author, and strategist. With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of social media, education policy, leadership, and marketing, she’s shaped the higher education digital landscape since Facebook’s launch. She founded Campus Sonar in 2017 to empower higher ed leaders with knowledge and insights gained from vast social media and online data. College Board acquired Campus Sonar in 2026, and Liz now serves as the Executive Director of Strategic Enrollment Services. Liz was named to GreenBook’s 2019 GRIT Future List, which showcases forward- thinking individuals and innovations shaping the market research industry. She’s spoken at 100+ higher education events, and authored two indispensable guides for higher ed: The Higher Ed Social Listening Handbook and Fundamentals of Social Media Strategy: A Guide for College Campuses. Liz’s higher education experience spans the private and public sector (including the University of Wisconsin campuses in Milwaukee and Waukesha). She received a Ph.D. in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service in Higher Education at Cardinal Stritch University, a master’s degree in educational policy and leadership from Marquette University, and a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communication from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.
Key Note Preview
Digital, But Not Distant: The New Rules of Influence
What peer trust means for the first year
Your incoming students already trust someone more than they trust you — and it's probably not who you think. Long before they set foot on campus, they've absorbed a version of what their college experience will be like, built entirely from peers, forums, and strangers online. That peer-trust instinct doesn't disappear at move-in. It follows students into their first semester, shaping who they ask for help, whether they believe your support services are real, and whether they stay past the first hard week.
Drawing on a decade of research into how students and families actually talk to each other online — not what they say on a satisfaction survey — this session unpacks why so many students believe they're "on their own," even at institutions doing everything right. More importantly, it offers concrete, resource-neutral strategies academic and student affairs professionals can put to use immediately: closing awareness gaps, timing communication to when it actually lands, and formalizing the peer-to-peer trust that's already happening informally on your campus.
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