Dear Members of the Class of 2023,
I write today to introduce you to Chris Scanlon, who begins as Resident Dean of First-Year Students in Elm Yard on January 15. We are thrilled to have Chris join our team, as he brings tremendous spirit and valuable experience to the role.
Chris is an educator who believes that the communities developed on college campuses have a powerful effect on the well-being and success of students—a source of motivation throughout his 13 years working in higher education. Chris will be joining us from Wentworth Institute of Technology where he spent the last five years as the Associate Director in the Center for Student Engagement. In this role, he oversaw the First-Year Seminar Program, re-designed the Wentworth Leadership Institute, and led a streamlining initiative to promote a more efficient student experience during summer orientations and new student welcome week.
Prior to joining Wentworth in 2014, Chris worked in residence life and housing at Suffolk University, Michigan State University, and Georgetown University. Chris is a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University in the Curriculum, Teaching, Leadership, and Learning Program, focusing on transformative learning and first-generation college student success. Additionally, he has a master’s in student affairs administration from MSU and studied English literature (with a counseling/human services minor) at the University of Scranton.
Born and raised in Philly, Chris is a life-long hockey player and a new gravel biking enthusiast. While riding the T, Chris is often watching YouTube videos of people cooking or fixing their bikes. Chris’s partner Amie (a fellow Harvard colleague who works in communications) has helped break Chris out of his city-kid shell by showing him the fun side of exploring the great outdoors. They plan to visit each of the U.S. national parks before they retire.
I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Meg Lockwood, who has been serving Elm Yard students as their interim dean since September. Meg has provided consistent support to students and proctors, eagerly assumed responsibilities within the First-Year Experience Office, and been a wonderful colleague. While we will miss Meg, we are happy that we will continue to see her on campus and in Adams House where she resides with her husband and son.
Students in Elm Yard may continue to use elm-yard-dean@fas.harvard.edu to contact Dean Lockwood until January 15, and Dean Scanlon thereafter. Students who would like to meet with their resident dean may email the FYE at firstyear@fas.harvard.edu or call 617-495-1574.
Sincerely,
Nekesa C. Straker
Senior Assistant Dean of Residential Life and First-Year Students