To: The Wellesley Community
From: Sheilah Shaw Horton, Vice President and Dean of Students
Re: Exciting News from the Office of the Dean of Students
Date: July 16, 2018

While the summer has finally taken hold and our students have moved on to their summer activities, the Office of the Dean of Students has been busy planning for the next academic year. I am excited to inform you that we have filled key positions that will help us to move forward with our vision to “engage, embrace, and empower” students at Wellesley.

Associate Dean of Students for Academic Integration and Advising
It is my pleasure to announce that on July 1, Lori Tenser, dean of first-year students at Wellesley for 13 years, assumed the position of associate dean of students for academic integration and advising. In this new role, Lori’s primary responsibility is to develop and implement strategic initiatives to integrate the academic and co-curricular lives of all students. Specifically, the associate dean of students provides direction and supervision for the staff and programs of the Offices of the Class Deans, which includes first-year programs and the Davis Scholar program, and the Pforzheimer Learning and Teaching Program. Lori’s experience at Wellesley and her passion for educating students will help us to partner effectively and break down the silos of academic and student life.

As dean of first-year students, Lori provided outstanding personal, academic, and general advising and support for each incoming class. Along with faculty and other colleagues, she developed the Wellesley Plus program as well as new approaches to the first-year mentor program and new student orientation. She has played a significant role in institutional initiatives such as shadow-grading and has been an active contributor to a number of divisional initiatives, including the leadership working group in Student Life. Lori served for one year as interim associate dean of students, supporting the overall mission of the division and working with partners such as Facilities and Finance.

Before coming to Wellesley, Lori spent 16 years at Brandeis University in a number of critical student development roles. Lori earned a Ph.D. in higher education from Boston College and a master’s in education from Harvard.

Associate Dean of Students for Inclusion and Engagement
I am pleased to announce that Ines Maturana Sendoya has accepted our offer to serve as the associate dean of students for inclusion and engagement. In this role, her primary responsibility will be to provide leadership and vision to divisional initiatives on inclusion and engagement throughout the student experience. Reporting directly to the vice president and dean of students, she will serve as the director and leader of the Intercultural Education unit and the Slater International Center, fostering a climate that supports and encourages intercultural engagement, inclusion, and equity. Ines will join us on August 1.

Ines comes to us from Boston College, where she leads the team in the Thea Bowman AHANA (African, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American) and Intercultural Center. Ines has over 20 years’ experience designing, coordinating, and assessing student engagement programs to promote the retention and engagement of students of color. Examples of the programs she has managed include the Options Through Education summer bridge program, a faculty-student mentoring program, several heritage month initiatives, and advising support programs. She has been a campus leader of inclusion initiatives and is a certified trainer in a number of programs, including the Anti-Defamation League’s Campus of Difference and the Intercultural Development Inventory. Ines holds a master’s degree from Lesley University and a doctorate in higher education from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Jewish Chaplain and Campus Rabbi
I am pleased to welcome Rabbi Dena Bodian to campus as the new Jewish chaplain and campus rabbi. As an authentic Jewish teacher and experienced interfaith chaplain, she will build Jewish community through meaningful conversations, collaborative ventures, and innovative approaches to religious life. As an integral member of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life team, Rabbi Bodian will work with colleagues across campus to create thoughtful spiritual-life programming, foster student wellness, and nurture inclusive excellence with students of all religious and nonreligious traditions. Rabbi Bodian begins her time at Wellesley on August 15.

Rabbi Bodian comes to us from Colgate University, where she spent seven years advising the Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and atheist student groups as the associate university chaplain and director of Jewish life. While there, she led Jewish programming and participated in broader campus-wide initiatives, including Inter-Group Dialogue, the Yes Means Yes campaign, and faculty reading groups, as well as spearheaded the research, writing, and publication of a volume on the history of Jews at Colgate, marking the university’s bicentennial celebration. In addition to serving as a past president of the National Association of College and University Chaplains, Rabbi Bodian has also supported the spiritual life of local Jewish communities in her role as rabbi. Rabbi Bodian received rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Seminary of the Deaf in Skokie, Ill., and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bryn Mawr College.

Director of Student Involvement and Leadership
Finally, I am pleased to announce that the new director of student involvement and leadership, Stephanie Weiskopf, joined our team on July 9. At Wellesley, Stephanie will oversee the Office of Student Involvement, working closely with College Government and our many campus organizations; chair the Student Leader Training Committee; and join the leadership working group as the key coordinator of events such as the First-Year Leadership Conference and the Camellia Student Leadership Awards.

Stephanie served previously in several positions at Washington University in St. Louis, most recently as the associate director for leadership development. In this role Stephanie led the areas of fraternity/sorority life, LGBTQIA programs, and diverse communities programming in addition to leadership development. She has extensive experience in creating and coordinating leadership development programs and workshops and in advising campus organizations. Stephanie holds a master’s degree in student development administration from Seattle University. Prior to attending graduate school, she served as a traveling leadership consultant for Delta Gamma Women’s Fraternity.

As we progress over the summer and into the fall, please join us in welcoming these colleagues to campus.