Dear Harvard College Students,
I am writing today to share with you the exciting news that we are welcoming Nekesa Straker as our new Senior Assistant Dean of Residential Life and First-Year Students.
A native New Yorker, Nekesa brings to Harvard College a wealth of experience and a passion for enriching the residential experience for undergraduate students. Since 2015 she has served as Director of Residential Education at Boston College. In that role she has been responsible for managing the day-to-day experience of residential life for 7,600 residents spanning across 14 residential communities. Previously she has served in various leadership roles focusing on student residential life at DePaul University and New York University, where she worked specifically with first-year students.
In her new role, Nekesa will be responsible for leading the First Year Experience (FYE) office, which will include everything from managing the Resident Deans of First-Year Students, overseeing residential life initiatives to help orient and support the incoming class, and coordinate housing assignments for first-year students. In addition to her duties within the FYE, Nekesa and I will be working closely together with our proctors and training our residential staff. She will also be partnering with our Student Engagement team to help plan and implement pre-orientation programs, Convocation, advising programs within the Office of Undergraduate Education, and she will also serve as a member of the Administrative Board.
A graduate of Vassar College, Nekesa earned her Master’s Degree in Student Development Administration from Seattle University and is currently completing a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Leadership at Regis College. She will begin her new role on June 17th.
Please join me in welcoming Nekesa to Harvard College!
Sincerely,
Lauren Brandt
Associate Dean of Students