ron alexander & doing the work

Ron AlexanderRon started a new job as the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Student Conduct at Northwestern in May — in the midst of a pandemic and just before protests against racial violence began across the U.S. Both of these events directly impact Ron’s work both now and in the fall. Despite all the turmoil, he remains collected and more motivated than ever to create an inclusive environment for Northwestern’s students. 

Ron and Lougan worked together at Belmont, but Lougan was not able to join this interview so Jenna caught up with him to talk about his history as a campus organizer and whether it’s possible to address public health and racial justice at the same time. We also discuss Ron’s work as a tour guide and organizer for Black travelers and where he wants to go once travel resumes.

Ron holds a master’s in college student affairs from the University of West Georgia and is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in student affairs leadership at the University of Georgia.

Link to cool stuff

 

shanna carmack & the tape deck editor

Shanna Carmack and her son smiling into the cameraShanna Carmack is the director of residence life for Carson-Newman University in east Tennessee. In this week’s episode, we talk to Shanna about getting acclimated as a new director in her first year at a university and how much a mentor can make a difference to an up-and-coming administrator. Shanna also lends us some insight on what it’s like to raise a child—in a residence hall!

 

 

 

 

Complete our Listener Survey

Listeners, we want to know more about you. Help us out by completing a quick 5 minute survey!

jerry cherry & the attack of the candy corn

Jerry Cherry is the coordinator for student leadership at Appalachian State University. This week, Jerry tells us about what it’s like to mentor and manage students and how he’s stepped in while other positions are being filled at the university. In his spare time (spoiler: he doesn’t have much) he advises NRHH (National Residence Hall Honorary) and he and Jackie geek out over OTMs. Everyone reveals their feelings on candy corn, and Jackie learns about ESports.

Links to cool stuff

thea zunick & the feeling of not doing anything


Talk about a higher ed superhero, Thea Zunick serves as the director of student life at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. On top of that, she is an adjunct professor University of the Sciences and Montclair State University while volunteering for AFA, NASPA, and greek organizations. She talks about the platforms that online classes can use to create engagement. The group talks about how meetings can be unproductive at times. 

Links to cool stuff: 

kevin hahn & the next cereal podcast

Kevin Hahn is the associate director of residence life at SUNY-Fredonia in western New York State where he oversees RD and RA development and recruitment. We talk with Kevin about his plans for the upcoming year as classes wrap up for the summer. Kevin Hahn is well known for his handwriting, where he has a font of it, you can download it in the show note links. We also discuss how to bring higher education residence life into the fad of interior design/renovation shows.

Links to cool stuff: