[media-credit name=”Erin Kane” align=”alignnone” width=”300″][/media-credit]

As Quinnipiac welcomes the new faces of its freshmen class to campus, it also welcomes the new Director of Residential Life, Mark DeVilbiss.

DeVilbiss was the Associate Dean for Residence Life at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio for 17 years. There, he started working in residence life as a Residence Hall Director, then moved on to be the Director of Student Activities before coming back to residential life.

 DeVilbiss and his family have lived in Ohio and the decision to come to Quinnipiac was a new adventure for the family, according to DeVilbiss.

“I looked a long time at the opportunity, and I just think that the campus itself, and more importantly, the people make this place,” DeVilbiss said.

DeVilbiss is currently taking the time to ask and learn about Quinnipiac and its systems.

“I’ve been asking a lot of questions about our processes, policies, procedures,” DeVilbiss said. “We’re also continually reviewing those and so I want to continue that tradition of reviewing and trying to make things incrementally better every year.”

DeVilbiss attended the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana. There he studied communications, which lead him to his career in student affairs.

“I was the student government president back in the day. I got to know my dean very well, who referred me to this field of student affairs and I just loved it,” DeVilbiss said. “One thing led to another, although teaching was kind of a side step. And it was more of an adventure, to tell you the truth. I finished my education and I really could go anywhere or do anything and I chose to go overseas.”

Being from Ohio, DeVilbiss said he knew there would be a big move coming for the family.

“It did cause us to have some thoughts like, ‘Wow, this is really moving fast,’” DeVilbiss said. “And with children at home and my daughter going off to college at the time there were a lot of changes all at once.”

DeVilbiss is now awaiting his family’s arrival to Connecticut.

“It’s just a little difficult now when they’re in school and they’re playing sports, and I always did all of that stuff and now I’m missing that.”

DeVilbiss said he and his family are planning to buy a house in this area and he has enjoyed looking at the surrounding communities.

“It’s been fun to look at Hamden itself and see what’s the best school system and what’s the best place for my family and I to make home as I work at Quinnipiac,” DeVilbiss said.

DeVilbiss is enthusiastic about making a name for himself on campus.

“I only get to be new once and I want to use this whole year to look at everything with fresh eyes and just have a new perspective,” DeVilbiss said.