Q: I know you just started as the Dean of Students in August. What attracted you specifically to PhilaU?
A: Once I got here and interacted with the faculty, staff and students, everyone was so welcoming and I knew this would be a place I would enjoy working at. I also really like the size of PhilaU, and I felt like it could be a place where I would fit in nicely.
Q: What was your prior job and where?
A: I was the Senior Associate Dean For Student Life at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Q: What made you want to work at a college?
A: I studied education for many years, and I used to be a special education teacher in New York. I worked in admissions at my undergrad school, Green Mountain College in Vermont, for a year. While working there, I realized I loved working at college campuses. One of my professors once told me, “The exciting thing about college students is they never get older and they bring an inherent energy with them.” That is exactly what I love about college students and why it is so fulfilling to work at a college campus.
Q: Where did you attend college, what was your major and why?
A: My major was a combination of elementary and special education, because I knew I wanted to have a job in the realm of education. I also went to graduate school at Columbia University to get my Master’s Degree and then I got my PHD from Boston College.
Q: What has been favorite part about working at PhilaU so far?
A: The fun part so far, aside from the students I’ve met, is that I have so many connections to PhilaU that I never realized I had. After starting to work here, I found out that an RA I had in college is now married to Beth Sheppard-Rabadam, the Associate Provost here at PhilaU. It’s been really fun finding out that I have a strong connection to PhilaU, and it has made me enjoy working here even more.
Q: Are you married and do you have any children?
A: Yes. I have a wife named Pam and we’ve been married for 19 years. We have three daughters: Kathleen, 17, Elizabeth, 14, and Aileen, 12. I also have a dog named Quincy who is a black lab. My family still lives in my hometown of Boston for the year so Kathleen can finish her last year of high school. Since I love animals, my daughters got me a hamster, named Ted E. Bear, because they didn’t want me to be lonely here.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: If it’s winter, I love to ski. I love the cold weather and I love snow. I’m not a great skier, but I love to ski anyway. I also like to work with my hands, such as building things or fixing things. I’ve renovated parts of houses before and other hands-on types of tasks. If it’s summer, I like to go to the beach with my family. I used to be a scuba diver, so I like being near the water whenever I can. History is one of my favorite subjects, and I enjoy reading biographies of famous people.