Wendy Gordon joins the Olin community as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. Learn more about Wendy and her approach to student support in this Q&A.
Meet Wendy Gordon, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs!
Share a little bit about your background and how you came to be at Olin.
I am a first-generation college student from Philadelphia, PA. After graduating with a bachelor’s in psychology from Arcadia University, I moved to the Boston area to earn a master’s in applied child development with a concentration in clinical/ developmental psychology at Tufts University. I worked for hospitals (outpatient clinic triage and research positions) for a while after Tufts, and I took a seminar in Mood Disorders at Harvard University during that time. Then I pivoted to work at a non-profit serving at-risk middle and high school students and started adjunct teaching at the community college level. Teaching led to other higher education roles in academic advising, academic support programs, executive function coaching, and student affairs case management. I’m excited that my role at Olin combines these professional experiences together!
Describe your role at Olin. What about your role would students & other community members be interested in that they might not know?
My role at Olin oversees Academic Advising, ARC and Tutoring programs, and Disability Services at Olin (DSO). I also participate in CARE Team and other campus partner collaborations. I’m a big fan of reflective frameworks to support proactive holistic success (and academic recovery when needed) and I’m happy to share approaches with students and anyone in an advising role.
What are you looking forward to and hoping to accomplish at Olin?
I’m looking forward to continuing to get to know people (Oliners), place (campus), and process (how things happen here). Through collaborative work, I hope to bring more training and support to the Tutoring and ARC programs, make it easier for students to access degree audit information, and support mindful shifts in policy when needed.
What is your philosophy or approach when it comes to working with college students?
My approach to working with college students is holistic, proactive, and wellness-oriented, with an understanding that as humans, we can “show up” differently depending on conditions often beyond our control. I enjoy supporting students to construct their own knowledge through scaffolding reflection, suggesting frameworks, using resources, training, and clarifying expectations of themselves and others.
What do you like to do for fun and/or in your free time outside of Olin?
In my free time outside of Olin I teach psychology (online) at a community college. I also enjoy yoga, walks, hiking, making music (I sang alto in choirs for many years), attending music/theater performances, nature photography, time with family and friends, dark chocolate, and travel.
What community service are you involved in?
I have been volunteering for one of my former choirs at their concerts for many years. Last year, I helped out at NAMIWalks Massachusetts (benefits the National Alliance on Mental Illness) and hope to continue.
Oliners can ask me about…?
Oliners can ask me about how to consider better balancing goals with intentional rest and joy. They can also ask me about yoga, Queen songs, which local musician I have seen perform live over 50 times, and what my favorite thing is from Wawa.
Oliners can teach me about…?
Oliners can teach me about what they enjoy about Olin and what could be better, their passions (engineering and otherwise), and their favorite places to walk on or near campus.