While returning and newly oriented students face the changes of a new year, the College administration has had several significant staff changes of its own. Some changes have come in the form of internal promotions, with others involve the arrival of new personnel from outside the College and the creation of new roles. In addition, some Hamilton senior staff members have left the College for other pursuits.
Jeff Landry, the former Associate Dean of Students for Health and Safety has been promoted to Associate Vice President for Student Life. He is responsible for day-to-day operations on campus, including those of Student Affairs, as well as overseeing departments such as Campus Safety and Student Health Services. In this role he will now serve as a director deputy to Dean of Students Terry Martinez. Landry, who helped guide Hamilton and its student body through the norovirus outbreak on Hamilton’s campus last year, had previously overseen only functions of the College pertaining to student health, well-being, and safety.
Assistant Dean of Students for Residential Life Travis Hill has seen his title change to Assistant Dean for Student Engagement. This new role better reflects his area of oversight, which includes Orientation and First-Year programs as well as Community Outreach programs. While his old title implied that he only managed residential life, he in fact had provided oversight to other student programs. In addition, as the College reviews residential life on campus and strives to create more unique residential communities that foster experiential learning, Hill will oversee the process devoted to studying these changes.
Ashley Place, who formerly served as the Title IX Coordinator and Assistant Director for Residential Life has been promoted to Director of Residential Life. Place, who will no longer serve as Title IX Coordinator, was promoted in accordance with Hill’s new responsibilities overseeing programming and residential life. In her role, Place will supervise both area directors and residential advisors.
Margaret Gentry, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and former Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs has been asked to take on the role of senior advisor to President Wippman. She will provide strategic insight and expertise for the launch of the College’s capital campaign later in the year, as well as continuing to provide counsel on academic issues to President Wippman and the current Dean of Faculty.
There have also been several new additions to the College administration. Suzanne Keen was recently hired as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. Keen, who formerly taught at Washington and Lee University, was announced to the campus last year and formerly began her tenure on July 1. As Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Keen oversees academic programming and the hiring of new faculty. In addition, Keen will be a part of the College’s study into potential changes to its open curriculum.
Maria Genao-Homs is the new Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion. Her job focuses on bringing diverse perspectives to campus. She will work closely with the Days-Massolo Center, the Admissions Office, and the Dean of Faculty in efforts to attract diverse students and faculty to Hamilton.
Catherine Berryman also joined the College administration as the Director of Community Standards and is the new Title IX Coordinator. She will be the first to hold the newly-created position, which will more broadly cover student discipline.
Finally, Jae Jaeger is the new Area Director for Residential Life, and will work closely with students in the first-year residence halls.
There are also ongoing nationwide searches to fill empty positions. One is to replace Nora Klaphake, the current Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees, after her announcement that she will stepping down from her role. In her two years at Hamilton, she has planned and implemented various projects, as well as acted as a liaison for the Board of Trustees.
Another search is being conducted to find a new Vice President for Communications and Marketing Reporting. A recent review of the Communications Office by Glenn Altschuler, the Litwin Professor of American Studies and former Vice President of University Relations at Cornell University, found that Hamilton would greatly benefit from establishing such a position.
Many of these changes were made to ensure that the College continues to run as efficiently as possible and to better reflect the changing needs of the student body.
