Residence Director Testimonials
"My time as a Residence Director at SHIP prepared me to supervise a large residence hall operation. I gained experience with staff supervision, hall council advisement, student conduct, staff selection, staff training, and crisis management. The skills I learned at SHIP were invaluable and currently allow me to guide my staff on a daily basis. Most importantly, between the Residence Director and Classroom experiences, I learned how to effectively assist students as they navigate their college experience. I picked up the necessary knowledge to help students develop into mature adults ready for their future after graduation."
Tim Shaal
Dean of Student Success, Terra State Community College
“Being a part of the Residence Director staff at Shippensburg was an amazing experience for me. The position afforded me the opportunity to experience a variety of areas within Housing & Residence Life. However, I also got the opportunity to participate in other areas of Students Affairs which made me a very qualified candidate when I started my full time job search. I made many professional colleagues during my time at Ship but more importantly, many of those colleagues became friends.”
Peter Pereira
Interim Assistant Director, Campus Activities and Student Organizations
Texas State University - San Marcos
"I had the pleasure of serving as the Kieffer Hall and Mowrey Hall Residence Director during my time at Shippensburg University. Like many, I came right from an undergraduate program and was ready to dive into a career in Student Affairs. I was fortunate to work with some very talented professionals, fellow Graduate students, and undergraduate student leaders. I’m humbled now to be working professionally with some former Shippensburg RAs and alum from my time, a true testament to Shippensburg’s commitment to both its graduate student program and to the work with undergraduate students.
I have – and will continue to – recommend Shippensburg’s graduate programs and the Residence Director position."
Joe Russo
Senior Director for Business Services, University of Pennsylvania
"The experience gained by working in the Dean of Students Office and more specifically has a Hall Director allowed me to learn intricacies of a highly functional Student Affairs team. All of these experiences afforded me the opportunity to put my ideas into operation, combining student development and systems' theories to advance the mission of Shippensburg. This proved to be a backbone for my career in Higher Education. As a result, I have had the opportunity to take on progressively responsible leadership positions in Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. I look back on may days with fond memories and sincere gratitude!"
Rodney Altemose, Ed.D.
Executive Director, Upper Bucks Campus
Bucks County Community College
“Even to this day I struggle to fully explain how much my time at Shippensburg University as a Resident Director meant to me. It was a phenomenal experience that allowed me the opportunity to meld both theory and practice. The opportunity to oversee a Residence Hall as a graduate student was a tremendous learning experience and a privilege that helped me build a foundational skill set that has assisted me in every step of my own professional development. In addition, I was offered the opportunity to be creative and innovative on projects both within my building and for the larger campus. I was regularly challenged both as a student and young professional to continuously develop and spend the time taking honest introspective looks at myself as a person and a practitioner. That constant introspection from both the position and the College Student Personnel Program helped me grow immensely as a professional but even more as a person. Finally, and most importantly, I cannot say enough about the network of caring and knowledgeable group of seasoned professionals that are truly invested in the growth of the Resident Director Staff. In all honesty one of the biggest honors that I have received in my professional career was being offered the opportunity to become a part of that network and give back to a position that has meant so much to me, which is why I recently returned to Shippensburg as the Assistant Director for Residential Education. “
Pavan M. Purswani
Coordinator of Transitions Program
University of Baltimore
"Working as an RD at Ship allowed me to develop professional experience while applying the knowledge and skills I was learning in the CSP grad program. I had the opportunity to work in housing and residence life while also gaining experience in judicial services, orientation, drug and alcohol education, and other functions related to my future interests. My time at Ship was incredibly meaningful in my development as a student affairs professional, and I draw on that experience often in my current work with students."
Andrea Carpenter, Career Management Advisor
Kogod Center for Career Development (KCCD)
American University’s Kogod School of Business
"I got the position as a “last minute” thing (was hired over the 4th of July), and have been forever grateful for the trust that Tony Cecere, Dave Dolbin, and Betty lu Morgan placed in me as a person. I feel honored to have known, and worked with so many of the “Ship Student Affairs/Counseling Center Legions”. I worked in Higher Education for over 20 years, and finished my higher education career as the Associate Director of Housing and Residential Education, at UNC-Chapel Hill, in 2001. I am convinced the experience at Ship was a great foundation for the career I carved out!"
Al Calarco
Global Solutions Faculty Member
Center for Creative Leadership
Where Are They Now?
Nina Pereira – Director of Residential Education, University of Arizona
Pavan Purswani - Director of Student Support, University of Baltimore
Kevin Killen – Associate Director Housing/Auxiliary Services, Rutgers University
Joe Russo – Senior Director for Business Services, University of Pennsylvania
Tim Shaal – Dean of Student Success, Terra State Community College
Tom Segar – Vice President for Student Affairs, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Shannon Smigo – Enrollment Advisor, Palm Beach State College
Andrea Carpenter – Assistant Dean, American University’s Kogod School of Business
Lorie Davis Sheetz - Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Shippensburg University
Jennifer Thorpe - Director of Alumni Relations, Rosemont College
Tyrone Russell - Principal Consultant, Faces International
Christina D'Aversa - Associate Director of Residential Services, Lehigh University
Mike Davis - Director of Men of Color Programs, Harrisburg Area Community College
Kevin Battersby - Assistant Director for Housing Services, Lehigh University
Kyleen Martin - Assessment Coordinator for Institutional Research and Planning, Mount St. Mary's College
Chris Ottey - Associate Director Housing Services, Lehigh University
Keeyana Talley - Assistant Director for Academic Initiatives and Experiential Learning for Residence Life, University of North Carolina Greensboro
Aaron Youmans - Associate Dean of Students; Intervention and Support, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Chris Ossont - Associate Director for Residential Education, Muhlenberg College
Alyssa Lanphear - Residence Director, University of Massachusetts Amherst