Shannon Gary is the associate vice president of student life and dean of students at the University of San Francisco.

Dr. Shannon Gary is a first-generation college student from Philadelphia, PA.  He earned his undergraduate degree from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. He earned both his master’s degree and Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education.

He has worked for various institutions and numerous departments and divisions.  Shannon began his higher education career in Career Services at Lafayette College in Easton, PA. He then moved on to become an Academic Advisor in the Honors Program at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. After Temple University he moved on to Drexel University as the Assistant Dean of Honors Programming in the Pennoni Honors College. He was eventually promoted to the Associate Dean of Pennoni Honors College and Director of the Honors Program. He left Drexel to become the Associate Dean of Students at Montclair State University. From Montclair State he moved on to his current position at the University of San Francisco. Throughout all his career Shannon has been a student-centered advocate for all students. With a particular focus on the needs of first generation, low-income, Black, and other marginalized students.

Shannon is an active member of NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education where he has served as a national Knowledge Community Chair; Regional Knowledge Community Coordinator; and currently as a member of the AVP Steering Committee. He is also actively involved with JASPA through the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU). 

Shannon is a member of the Board of Trustees for Muhlenberg College. 

He has also taught as an adjunct faculty member at Widener University in Chester, PA; Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ; and Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA in each of their respective graduate higher education/student affairs programs.