Candidates for Interim Dean Role Chosen

The Dean of Residential Life Selection Committee recently released to faculty members the four candidates for interim Dean of Residential Life, following the announcement that current Dean of Residential Life AJ Cosgrove will be stepping down at the end of this school year.

The four candidates are Science Instructor Jeffrey Ward, English Instructor Christina Breen, Health Instructor Carol Cahalane and Religion Instructor Thomas Simpson. One of the candidates will be selected to serve as the interim dean for the 2018-2019 school year. The selection committee—comprised of faculty members Tyler Caldwell, Rachel Henry, Michelle Chapman and Russell Weatherspoon, as well as Dean of Students Melissa Mischke—will search for a lasting replacement throughout the interim dean’s tenure.

The Interim Dean of Residential Life will continue Cosgrove’s work. “I will miss the opportunity to continue to implement and facilitate some of these changes,” Cosgrove said.

Simpson hopes to assume the role and build upon initiatives Cosgrove participated in. “I’m especially drawn to the position because of the administration’s expressed interest in developing our residential curriculum and proctor training programs, particularly in terms of fostering an intentional commitment to living and thriving in a diverse community.” he said. Simpson also mentioned his interests in “mental health, restorative justice and bystander intervention training aimed at violence prevention.”

Ward spoke of his qualifications for the role. “I’ve served in administrative positions that cover parts of the role of the Dean of Residential Life during the Exeter Summer Session. I’ve also served as the dorm head of Knight House for ten years,” he said.

Cahalane and Breen declined to comment on their candidacies at this time.

All of the candidates have previous experience holding leadership positions. Ward is the current head of the Disciplinary Committee. Breen is the current head of Williams House, was one of three Strategic Planning Committee heads and advises the student organization Fight Club. Cahalane has previously held the role of dorm head of both Moulton House and Lamont Hall, has served as an associate Dean of Students and is a current adviser to the Student Council. Simpson was the chair of last year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee and the former Interim Chair of the Assembly Committee.

The candidates have worked closely with students and faculty members. Lower Luke Tyner praised Cahalane’s cheerful spirit. “She’s easy to talk to and is very open to change and student opinion. I think she would be fair and kind, light-hearted but tough on people who need a reprimand,” he said. “Overall, I think that she would be a great fit for the position of Dean of Residential Life.”

Prep Meredith Thomas also commended Cahalane for her role as a teacher and adviser. “She’s surprisingly relatable and seems to understand as well as she can our experiences as students,” she said. “Ms. Cahalane is attentive and aware of everything that’s going on. She would know if something was off with someone and is always available to talk.”

Upper Jordan Davidson considered Simpson a strong role model and source of encouragement. “Throughout my time at Exeter, Mr. Simpson has been a coach, teacher, dorm faculty, adviser and a role model for me. He is by far one of the most honest, genuine people that I have encountered at Exeter,” Davidson said. “One of Mr. Simpson’s most admirable traits is that he has never been afraid to talk about hard topics such as race, gender and religion.”

Senior Alexi Monovoukas praised Ward’s friendly demeanor and willingness to engage in conversation. “Dr. Ward is an incredibly fair, just, sympathetic and above all, an incredibly fair person who I think will be the best person on the campus for this job,” Monovoukas said.

Lower Pepper Pieroni echoed Monovoukas’ sentiments, reiterating Dr. Ward’s strong sense of justice. “I think he’s first of all one of the best science teachers on this campus. But it’s not just because he’s a science teacher; it’s also because he understands what is fair and what is not fair. He has the sympathy of a what a student is going through. He also understands that there are some points when you can’t break any more rules, and he understands where that boundary is.”

Admissions officer and fellow girls’ varsity lacrosse coach Porter Hayes spoke highly of Breen’s capabilities as a coach, teacher and friend. “In the five years I’ve known her, I’ve been so impressed by her willingness and her interest in making sure that a student feels supported in every capacity while at Exeter,” Hayes said. “Christina knows the community well, and she values student experience.”

Senior Aiden Roberts, one of Breen’s advisees, supported her candidacy. He said, “I call Ms. Breen ‘Mom.’ That’s how comfortable I am with her.”

Cosgrove is optimistic about the Interim Dean of Residential Life’s tenure and future deans’ work. “I’m excited about some of the recommendations that both of these committees are going to make because I think they will continue to allow our school to evolve in ways that support our community.”