UW-Madison names dean of students
Luoluo Hong, of Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, W. Va., has been named dean of students.
Hong, assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students at the college of 4,800 students, will succeed Alicia Chávez, who left the office in January. Hong is expected to start around Nov. 1.
A native of Baltimore, Md., Hong says she was drawn to the dean of students position at UW–Madison upon seeing it first advertised in 1999.
“I remember thinking, ‘That’s my dream job,'” she says. “This time around, I knew I had to go for it. My spouse (Christopher Aamodt) is a UW graduate and his family lived in Madison for two decades, so I know all about the university’s history, atmosphere and spirit.”
Hong, who will report to Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Barrows, will play a leadership role in fostering a diverse institution and a welcoming campus environment while also providing services to students of all backgrounds.
“Luoluo’s expertise and commitment to excellence will be important contributions to student life here at UW–Madison,” says Barrows, who made the selection with Chancellor John Wiley. “I look forward to working with her in the years ahead.”
“We’re delighted that Luoluo has accepted our offer for this key leadership position on campus,” adds Wiley. “We have received nothing but outstanding reports from the students, faculty and staff who met with her during her interview process.”
Hong brings expertise in student development, health and social justice issues, as well as extensive experience in student engagement and coalition building.
“The history of student activism at UW–Madison excites me,” she says. “As an undergraduate, I was an activist myself. The dean of students (at Amherst College) probably doesn’t remember me all that fondly, but I still carry a piece of that activism in my heart.”
During her two years at Shepherd College, Hong oversaw areas of student life that included residence life, judicial affairs, health and counseling services, Greek affairs and new student orientation programs, among other duties.
She has also served as director of Wellness Education and Outreach Services at Louisiana State University, working on issues that included violence and sexual assault prevention, disability affairs, and reducing high-risk drinking and drug abuse. Also at LSU, she served as assistant director of the student health center, wellness education coordinator, and adjunct assistant professor in the department of kinesiology. She advised the student organization Men Against Violence for five years.
In addition, Hong has been an educational consultant for CAMPUSPEAK, an Aurora, Colo.-based organization providing training in leadership, diversity and health issues.
She holds an undergraduate degree from Amherst College in psychology, a master’s in public health from Yale University and a doctorate in educational leadership and research from LSU.
Hong was one of four finalists recommended to Wiley and Barrows by a 15-member search and screen committee that included faculty, academic staff and student representatives.
Other finalists included:
- Ivor Emmanuel, director of the Office of International Student Affairs at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
- Randi S. Schneider, director of University Health Services at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
- Donald A. Schutt Jr., director of the Office of Human Resource Development at UW–Madison.
Her annual salary will be $100,000.
The Office of the Dean of Students administers a range of programs and services designed to support the university’s 40,000 students. Among the many responsibilities of the position are fostering a healthy and diverse campus climate, advocating for student needs and providing crisis support services.