Residential Life Staff

Central Staff | Resident Director Staff | Graduate Assistant Staff | Union/Support Staff

Office of Residential Programs – Central Staff

Amanda Horvat
Director of Staff Training & Development
(B.S. Paralegal Studies, M.S. Student Development Practice in Higher Education)

Amanda is originally from Long Island, New York. As an undergraduate student at St. John's University, New York, Amanda was involved in numerous activities on campus. She was a proud member of the first Resident Assistant staff at St. John's. Amanda continued at St. John's to pursue her Master's degree in Higher Education and gained experience in Student Activities and Greek Life.

After completing her degree, Amanda began her career as a Residence Life Coordinator at the Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA. In 2006, Amanda joined the Residential Programs staff at Hofstra University and is excited for another fun-filled year!

Christopher Muller
Director of Residential Living-Learning Communities
(B.S. Health Care Administration, M.S. Student Affairs Administration)

Christopher is originally from Seaford, New York. He completed his undergraduate and graduate education at the University at Buffalo. He truly enjoyed his time in Buffalo and had a passion for getting involved in Student Government, Leadership Initiatives, Residential Life and Judicial Affairs. Christopher was a very active college student and while he was at the University at Buffalo, he discovered that was some wonderful career opportunities in Student Affairs. Before working at Hofstra, he worked at Stony Brook University as a Resident Hall Director. During his time at Hofstra, Christopher has previously held the roles of Assistant Director of the Suites Area and Associate Director of Residential Programs. Recently, Christopher took on the position as Director of Residential Living-Learning Communities. He is very excited about his new role and looks forward to growing the living learning program at Hofstra University. He is very involved in numerous campus committees including: Family Weekend, Welcome Week, Student Affairs Strategic Planning and the Student Affairs Professional Development. In his free time, Chris likes to travel and spend time with friends and family.

Jean Anne Smith
Associate Director of Residential Programs

After 8 years of working in banking and finance, in the metropolitan area Jean Anne decided to change her career path and began her university career at Hofstra, in 1991, as a clerk specialist in the Office of Residential Life. Over the next several years she increased her knowledge in the field of higher education by holding various administrative positions in the Division of Student Affairs at Hofstra. After a decade of service at the university she accepted a new position at SUNY Maritime College as the Director of Residential Facilities in order to gain additional experience outside of the Hofstra Community. She returned to Hofstra 3 years later to assist in the budget management and with the upgrading of the university residential facilities.

During her time at Hofstra Jean Anne has not only worked in the Department of Residential Programs but also in the Department of Public Safety, the Office for Campus Operations and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. This is Jean Anne's fourth semester Associate Director of Residential Programs for Operations.

Novia Whyte-Ramsay
Associate Director of Residential Programs
(Hofstra University - B.B.A Management, Hofstra University - M.A. Foundations of Education)

Novia is originally from the island of Jamaica, in the West Indies. She started her college experience at Nassau Community College as an Accounting major. After receiving her Associates in Applied Science in Accounting, Novia attended Hofstra University where she started her career path in Student Affairs. She has been a member of the Residential Programs staff since June 2000 when she started out as the Housing Assignment Coordinator. Today she is the Associate Director of Residential Programs and her responsibilities include the assignment of all new students for the fall semester into housing. She coordinates the annual room selection process and is currently assisting with the creation of and upgrade to an automated assignment process for the office. Novia’s other responsibilities range from the direct supervision of union personnel and the administrative coordinator to serving as a member of the Emergency Response/On-Call team. She enjoys being a newlywed and is looking forward to continuing molding the lives of the students she encounters within the division of Student Affairs.

Michael Arno
Assistant Director of Residential Programs – Living Learning Communities
(SUNY Brockport - B.S. Business Administration, Buffalo State College - M.S. Student Personnel Administration)

Michael is originally from Catskill, NY. He received his bachelor's degree in 2003 at SUNY Brockport. While at SUNY Brockport, Michael was a Resident Assistant for two years. After his graduation, Michael began working as an intern in the Residence Life office at SUNY Brockport.

In the spring of 2003, Michael began his graduate work at Buffalo State College. Michael's professional career began shortly thereafter at the State University of New York, College at Geneseo. For two years Michael served the SUNY Geneseo community as a Residence Hall Director. Following his graduation at Buffalo State College, in 2006, Michael continued his career serving as a Residence Hall Director at Stony Brook University. This is Michael's second year at Hofstra University as Assistant Director of Residential Programs.

Scott Raulsome
Operations Coordinator for Residential Programs
(Providence College- B.A.)

Scott began working at Hofstra University over 3 years ago as a Graduate Assistant to Jean Anne Smith in the Residential Operations department while pursuing his Masters degree  in education and curriculum. He is now a full-time member of the Residential Programs staff and looks forward to helping improve the quality of life for all on campus residents at Hofstra.

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Resident Director Staff

 Monique Alexander
Resident Director - Colonial Square
(Seton Hall University- B.A. Psychology)

Monique Alexander is originally from the town of Huntington in Long Island, NY. During her time at Seton Hall, Monique was a Resident Assistant for three years and heavily involved in different facets of students affairs. Some of these facets included Peer Health Education, Women's Resource Center, Community Development and the National Coalition Building Institute. After Graduating from Seton Hall, Monique began her first job as a Territory Sales Manager for Philip Morris USA. Although Monique enjoyed her time with Philip Morris, she had an unfulfilled void being absent from world of student affairs. This is Monique's third year at Hofstra and she is excited to be making an impact on the lives of students at Hofstra University.

Kate Grossman
Resident Director- Constitution and Estabrook Halls
(Hofstra University- B.A. Speech Communication, Rhetoric and Performance Studies)

Kate is originally from Long Island, New York. She graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication, Rhetoric and Performance Studies, with a minor in Speech-Language Hearing Sciences.  Kate began as a Resident Assistant her junior year at Hofstra, and continued on to become a Senior Resident Assistant her senior year at Hofstra. This is Kate's first year as a Resident Director.  Kate is excited to be able to continue her work in the Office of Residential Programs at Hofstra University.

 

Jessica Havery
Residence Director - Liberty-Republic
(Montclair State University- B.A. English, Rowan University, M.S. Education Higher Education Administration)

Jessica is originally from New Jersey. She completed her undergraduate degree in English and Journalism at Montclair State University. At Montclair, Jessica was a Resident Assistant for three years and the News Editor of the school paper for two. Seeing the excellent career potential within Student Affairs, Jessica attended Rowan University for her Masters degree in Higher Education Administration and served as a Resident Director for two years. Jessica is excited to be joining us at Hofstra University, and the opportunity to work very closely with our Honors College community.  

Christina King
Resident Director- New Complex
(Hofstra University- B.A. Biology)

Originally from Staten Island, New York, Christina received her Bachelors from Hofstra University in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry. She is currently working on a Masters Degree in Higher Education and has certainly found a passion for the field. Christina has worked in Residential Programs at Hofstra University for three years during her time as an Undergraduate as a Resident Assistant in Bill of Rights Hall, Senior Resident Assistant of Alliance Hall, and Senior Resident Assistant of Netherlands North. She is currently the Resident Director of New Complex, which houses a portion of Hofstra's first-year student population.

Susan McNeilly
Resident Director - Netherlands
(Hofstra University - B.S. History and Secondary Education, Hofstra University, M.A. Social Studies Education)

Sue is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was an active member of the Hofstra community as an undergraduate and graduate student. Sue became a Resident Assistant in Suffolk Hall in her junior year at Hofstra. She moved on to being a Senior Resident Assistant in Honor's Housing the following year. Sue spent a period of 6 months as an undergraduate student teacher in the Uniondale School district teaching American History, but after her two years as a member of Hofstra's Residential Programs office, she decided to pursue a Graduate Assistantship within the office. She became the Graduate Resident Director of Bill of Rights Hall, the all female residence hall on campus and later became the Assistant Resident Director of the High Rise area.

In October of 2006, Sue had the opportunity to become the interim Resident Director in Honor's Housing and she went on to become the Professional hall director there. Sue has recently moved to become the Resident Director of The Netherlands Complex, which is home to the majority of Hofstra's Living Learning Communities.

Vanesa Parent
Residence Director – Alliance and Bill of Rights
(Hofstra University- B.A. International Business Administration, M.S.Elementary Education)

Originally from Long Island, New York, Vanessa Parent has been a member of the Residential Programs family since her sophomore year at Hofstra. She began her career as an RA in Netherlands North for 2 years and then became a Senior Resident Assistant in Nassau Hall. After graduating with a B.A. in International Business Administration, she decided to move her career in a different direction. Vanessa started the M.S. program in Elementary Education here at Hofstra and was the Resident Director of Nassau Hall for those two years of graduate school. Now, Vanessa is happy to return to her Hofstra home as the Resident Director of Alliance and Bill of Rights Halls. She hopes to utilize her experience in the fields of business and education to advance her career in student affairs administration.

  Kimberly Murray
Residence Director - VanderPoel and Enterprise
(Siena College - BA. Economics, Hofstra University, M.S. Education Elementary Education)

Kimberly is originally from Wantagh, New York. While she was an undergraduate student at Siena, she was a Resident Assistant for three years. After completing her graduate program, she returned to Siena College and worked as a Resident Director for 3 years. For the past year, she held the position of Assistant Director of Campus Programs and Student Activities at Siena College. She is truly excited to be working as a Resident Director again and she looks forward to supervising a staff of 22 Resident Assistants. In addition, she is happy to be back home in the Long Island area! In her free time, she likes to bake and go the beach. Also, she is busy planning a wedding as she is engaged to be married in June, 2010. 

Timothy Reilly
Residence Director – Nassau/Suffolk
(The Catholic University of America - B.A. Politics, Old Dominion University, M.S. Education Higher Education Administration)

Timothy grew up nearby on the north shore of Long Island in Fort Salonga. During his time as an undergraduate, he actively got involved in Catholic's New Student/Parent Orientation program and worked part time for the Department of Judicial Affairs and Ethical Development.

While attending Old Dominion University for his master's degree, he entered the world of Residence Life at Virginia Wesleyan College. At Virginia Wesleyan, Tim worked as a Village Coordinator and worked extensively with the college's arbitration process. Tim is excited to be back home on Long Island with his wife and can't wait for a new season of Islanders hockey.

   

Graduate Assistant Staff

Christopher W. Baker
Assistant Resident Director - Nassau/Suffolk
(B.A. History and Political Science - Hofstra University, MSED in Social Studies Education [Anticipated May 2010])

Chris is originally from Long Island, New York. This is Chris' fourth year in the Department of Residential Programs. He began his Sophomore year as an Resident Assistant in Alliance Hall where he worked for two years. During his senior year, Chris became the Senior Resident Assistant of Alliance Hall. He also graduated that same year with a B.A. History and Political Science as well as minor is Drama, International Affairs and European Studies. Chris took on the position as the Administrative Graduate Assistant for the High Rise Area during the '08-'09 academic year but has started a new position inside Nassau/Suffolk for this upcoming year. He is very happy to still be a part of the Residential Programs community.

Joseph Bennethum
Assistant Resident Director - Netherlands
(Hofstra University- B.S. Fine Arts, Hofstra University- M.S. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies[Anticipate May 2011])

Joe was born and raised in Lancaster, PA. He began his undergraduate career at Hofstra in 2005. During his time at Hofstra, Joe served as an RA in Estabrook Hall his sophomore year, and a Senior Resident Assistant in Honors Housing and New Complex his junior and senior years respectively. Joe was also an active member of Masquerade Musical Theater, Form Student Art Gallery, Resident Student Association, and the Senior Class Challenge Committee where he served as Co-Chair after being crowned Homecoming King in the Fall of 2008. He graduated in May 2009 with a B.S. in Fine Arts with a concentration in Ceramics and a minor in Art History. Joe is very excited to be working as Assistant Resident Director in the Netherlands this year while he pursues a degree in Higher Education.

Audra Kincaid
Graduate Resident Director - Graduate Residence Hall
(Hofstra University - B.A. Print Journalism, M.A. Science Journalism [Anticipated 2010])

Audra is originally from Pittsburgh, PA. She began her undergraduate college career at Hofstra in 2003 as a print journalism major. During that time Audra was a founding member of Hofstra University Gamers, and joined Phi Eta Sigma and The Golden Key International Honor Society. Audra also served as a Resident Assistant for two years, and took on the role of vice president for Lambda Pi Eta, the Communications Honor Society at Hofstra, during her senior year.

Upon entering graduate school at Hofstra Audra became a Senior Resident Assistant. Her positive experience with Residential Programs lead her to accept the Graduate Resident Director position.

Andrea Staats
Assistant Resident Director  – Colonial Square
(Hofstra University- B.A. Speech Language Pathology and Community Health, Hofstra University, Masters in Inclusive Early Special Education [Anticipated May 2010])

Andrea was born and raised in Massapequa, New York. As an undergraduate student here at Hofstra, Andrea was a Resident Assistant for two years and a Senior Resident Assistant for one year. She was also involved in RSA, is an Alpha Phi Alumni, and a member of Sigma Pi, the Speech Language and Hearing Honor Society at Hofstra. Andrea started in her role as the Assistant Resident Director of Colonial Square in August of '08.

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Union/Support Staff

Patricia Brennan
Senior Accounts Clerk

Patricia started her career at Hofstra University in 2001, serving as a temp for the Office of Public Safety. She then worked in the bookstore for a short period of time prior to being recruited by the Office of Residential Programs as a temp in the receptionist position. She was hired shortly thereafter as the permanent receptionist.

In January 2007, Patricia replaced the Senior Accounts Clerk who retired. Her responsibilities include but are not limited to creating applications for new and returning students; she enjoys working closer with students and parents.

Jean Grande
Senior Assistant for Residential Programs

Jean started working at Hofstra in 1982 in the office of Financial Aid where she stayed for six years. In 1988 she decided to move over to her current position with the Office of Residential Programs.

Jean has served as Union Assistant Chief Representative of Local 153 for staff here at Hofstra since 1990. During her years as a union representative she has been involved with many negotiations and arbitrations. She has also attended numerous conferences and workshops, including Labor Relationship classes given by Cornell University and an Alcohol Dependence workshop.

Jean was instrumental in obtaining the union pension for all of our members of Local 153 by getting both Hofstra representatives and our union representatives to meet.

For almost seven years Jean was the sorority advisor for SDT and a member of the Administrative Judicial Hearings for the Dean of Students. She has also served on the University Senate and attended monthly Planning & Budget Committee meetings during her tenure.

Mary Prine Laurino
Receptionist
(NASD (National Association Security Dealers) sponsored Municipal Bond School - 1975 Certificate of Completion)

Proudly born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Mary began working for Ehrlich-Bober & Co. Inc., Municipal Underwriters upon Graduation from High School. Mary also started NASD School September, 1973 and remained at Ehrlich & Bober working as an Assistant Vice President /Assistant to Trader until "retirement" in 1985.

She served as member of New York State mandated Site Based Team for Shared Decision Making for Milburn Elementary School, Baldwin, NY, from 1991 through 1996. Mary has served Hofstra University since 1999 in the following areas:

1999/2003 - Part time, Axinn Library
2003/2004 - Plant Department
2004/2007 - Student Accounts, Repayment Office
January 2007 to present - Office of Residential Programs

Carol Ruppeiko
Senior Assistant for Residential Programs

Carol was born and raised on Long Island. She has lived in Wantagh, Islip and currently resides in Bellmore, on the south shore. Carol joined the Hofstra family in 1985, originally working as the Clerk Supervisor for Financial Aid and Academic Records office. During her time in Financial Aid, Carol created and implemented the Competitive Scholarship Exam, which grants scholarships to high school juniors in the local community. Carol joined the Residential Programs Office in 1996. She is directly responsible for overseeing billing for housing and meal plans for our incoming First Year students.