We have been in quite a time of transition within the area of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs and have had the opportunity to think about the best next steps for our Fraternity and Sorority community. Keeping that in mind, please help us welcome to the team Brigette Gardner as the newest Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs!!
Brigette will join us from Wright State University where she is currently completing her Masters of Arts degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education with an anticipated graduation date in May 2016. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Ohio University.
In her graduate assistant role at Wright State University, Brigette works with the Office of Alumni Relations to coordinate programs and directly advises the Student Alumni Association. Additionally, Brigette served as an intern with Fraternity and Sorority Affairs at both Wright State University and Lehigh University and has experience working with the Interfraternity, Panhellenic, and Multicultural Greek councils. While serving as the Lehigh OFSA summer intern, Brigette also took on a number of ambitious projects—including the development of the hazing prevention website—and held herself to high standards of quality work.
Brigette was heavily involved with the sorority recruitment counselor program as an undergraduate, and her desire to work with fraternities and sororities stems from a personal fraternal experience. She said the following: “I have seen the positive effects of Greek-letter organizations on their members and the surrounding community. As part of my personal student affairs philosophy, I believe in the holistic development of a student. This can be done through complementing students’ learning in the classroom with external educational experiences such as campus involvement. Fraternities and sororities are a productive way to do so due to their emphasis on developing important life skills through leadership, community service, and interacting with individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities. I believe both this position and Lehigh University align with this philosophy and other aspects of my professional practice.”
Brigette will join us when she completes her graduate education in June 2016. Feel free to reach out and send Brigette a welcome message by emailing her at brigette.gardner@gmail.com.
While we understand that it seems that many changes are taking place and Brigette won’t fill the role for some time, we are truly excited for the opportunity to move forward with Brigette on our team and trust that she’s well worth the wait. Once she arrives to campus, she’ll bring a great energy and enthusiasm to our office, students, and staff alike!!
In the meantime, we continue to be thankful for those friends of OFSA that are providing us with additional staffing support and continuity within the office. Special thanks to Allison Gulati, Brooke Clayton, Christine Gravelle, Jess Manno, Matt Kitchie, Zach Brown, and Chris Mulvihil who are continuing to support our chapters and the IFC for the remainder of the academic year.