Ethan Clapsaddle

Ethan Clapsaddle, serves as the Academic Services Coordinator for KU’s McNair Scholars Program. Ethan has served in this role since 2022. Ethan has a background in advising and leadership development for middle/high school and college students. Ethan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science from Western Carolina University in 2002. He went on to earn both a Master of Arts in Indigenous Studies (2017) and a Master of Science in Education (2023) with a focus in Education and Policy Studies from the University of Kansas. Ethan currently is participating in the Ed.D. program in Higher Education Administration here at KU where he is focused on improving the college experience and retention rates for first generation college students.  

Prior to working for the McNair Scholars Program, he served as the Director of Teen Services for the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, KS and as the Youth Leadership Development Specialist for the Cherokee Youth Council, and Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute in Cherokee, North Carolina. Ethan is a proud veteran of the US Army, where he served as a commissioned officer with a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.