Decades of research demonstrate that the quality of student-student and student-staff interactions are foundational to learning, belonging, and well-being for all undergraduates, and are particularly significant for students from groups that have been (and too often continue to be) marginalized in higher education. Drawing on more 450 interviews with students and staff across U.S. higher education, including scores of student interviews during the pandemic, this interactive session will explore how academic staff can use educational technologies to nurture relationships that support student thriving at university. Because these relationships tend to have lasting legacies, we also will consider how relationship-rich experiences can enable students to develop the skills and capacities – as well as the constellations of colleagues and mentors – that will empower them to contribute positively to their communities and professions after they graduate.