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Roanoke College welcomed a new director of Residence Life & Housing on July 1. Chris Drew brings nearly 20 years of residence life and student housing experience in higher education to his new role, the college said.
As Roanoke’s senior housing officer, Drew will focus on strategic management and creating an engaging, inclusive on-campus living environment that supports student learning and development. That will include spearheading efforts to expand living-learning programs as well as working closely with campus partners to update residence facilities.
“We are excited for Chris to join the Roanoke College community and lead the next phases of the residential experience,” Vice President for Student Success Brian Reed said. “Chris is a conscientious leader who puts student success at the center of all he does. “
Drew previously served as the director of student housing and residence life for Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. Earlier in his career, he worked in residence life positions at Elmhurst University, Franklin College and Earlham College.
Drew earned both a bachelor of science and a master of business administration from Indiana State University, where he served as a resident assistant and a graduate hall director. Throughout his career, he’s been involved in regional and national professional organizations, including serving on the Public Policy Advisory Committee of the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I).
He’s completed training with the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA) on vital topics that include Structured Interview for Violence Risk Assessment, Risk Rubric and Violence Risk Assessment of the Written Word. At earlier points in his career, Drew also worked with new student orientation, co-taught a first-year seminar and served as a Title IX investigator.
As part of the Residence Life & Housing team, Drew said he’s looking forward to collaborating with staff and faculty to continue building on the strong programs and initiatives in place on campus.
“I am excited to serve in this role at Roanoke College,” he said. “I look forward to the many great things we will accomplish to support student success.”
-The Salem Times-Register