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Main Image for Our Team

Our Team

Bard Reslife Menu
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  • Home
Meet the Peer Counselors
Become a Peer Counselor!

Our Vision

We aspire to be leaders in creating vibrant and inclusive, student-driven communities that foster active engagement, personal development, and lifelong connections​.

Our Vision

Respect - In all that we do, respect is at the core of how we interact with students, parents, alumni, and campus colleagues. 
 
Support - Acknowledging that college students are continually faced with challenges both academic and non- academic, our office strives to lend added support, guidance and advice in order to assist in their overall success.
 
Kaizen - A Japanese word meaning "good change". A driving philosophy of continuous improvement within the office of Residence LIfe and Housing. Everyone is a participant in the success of the office, therefore everyone is responsible for improving processes and procedures. Good (and improving) processes bring good (and improving) results.
 
Empowerment - Providing an arena for growth through trust and support, allowing others to realize their leadership potential. To empower someone is challenge them to use the tools and resources they already have, but may not understand or realize. 
 
Transparency - Making our processes and expectations both clear and known. This does not mean breaching confidentiality in any way, rather we believe in providing all of the appropriate information for students to make informed choices and know their options. This also means that we are able to demonstrate where we have made processes and policies clear, in writing. Transparency also means that we wish to be our authentic, human selves in interacting with students.

ResLife Team

  • John Cordella (he/him)
    Director of Residence Life & Housing
    [email protected]

    John Cordella (he/him)

    Director of Residence Life & Housing
    [email protected]

    John is originally from Pine Plains, NY. He attended St. Lawrence University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in Education. Prior to working at Bard, John lived and worked in Florence, Italy, as the Assistant Director of Marist College’s Florence, Italy program. He moved back to the Hudson Valley in 2013 to serve as the Assistant Director of Housing and Residential Life at Marist College. John spends most of his time exploring the Hudson Valley with his wife and son, traveling, and reading.
  • Melanie Sickler (she/her)
    Office Coordinator
    [email protected]
     

    Melanie Sickler (she/her)

    Office Coordinator
    [email protected]
     

    Melanie was born and raised in Kingston, NY. Melanie attended SUNY Ulster for her Associate degree in Business and Entrepreneurial Studies. When Melanie is not in her office, you can find her spending time with her 3 children or enjoying the amazing sky views from Kingston.

Area Coordinators:
Residential Area Staff

The Area Coordinators (ACs) play a significant role in maintaining a residential community, which supports and promotes student individual growth, responsibility, and academic achievement while assisting with the day-to-day operations of the residence halls. There are four ACs who report to the Director of Residence Life. The ACs, in turn, supervise a staff of Peer Counselors (PCs) and assist in the development of community-based programs that enhance the quality of life in the residence halls. ACs are full-time professional staff who live on campus and maintain office hours to meet with students to discuss academic and nonacademic concerns. The ACs serve as a part of a 24 hour on-call rotation to address emergency situations working collaboratively with other campus resources and staff members.

  • Tenzin Shaydrup (He/Him)
    Assistant Director for Housing
    Area Coordinator for South Campus
    Office: Tewksbury 113

    [email protected]

    Tenzin Shaydrup (He/Him)

    Assistant Director for Housing
    Area Coordinator for South Campus
    Office: Tewksbury 113

    [email protected]

    Residence Halls: Bluecher, Bourne, Leonard, Obreshkove, Rovere, Rueger, Shafer, Shelov, Steinway, Tewksbury, Wolff, Sands House

    About: Tenzin attended Clark University and graduated with a BA in Political Science. Tenzin was born in Tibet, and spent his early years in India, Australia, and the United States. He is part of a very close-knit family and enjoys spending most of his time with family and friends. In his free time, Tenzin likes to read and volunteer with various organizations in the Hudson Valley community. Most importantly, his volunteering experiences have inspired him to continue to better serve all in the world. 
  • Shakwat Chowdhury (He/Him)
    Area Coordinator for Resnick Commons A to L and Brown and McCausland
    Office: Resnick G 101
    [email protected]

    Shakwat Chowdhury (He/Him)

    Area Coordinator for Resnick Commons A to L and Brown and McCausland
    Office: Resnick G 101
    [email protected]

    Residence Halls: Resnick Commons A to L and Brown and McCausland

    About: Shakwat completed BA in Mathematics with a minor in Education at Rowan University. In 2020, he graduated with an EdM in College Student Affairs from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Shakwat has lived most of his life in New Jersey. He is very family-oriented; he loves being close to them and spending time with them. During his spare time, Shakwat enjoys going to the movies, doing sports activities outside, and hanging out with friends.
  • Lucas Belfonti (He/Him)
    Area Coordinator for Cruger Village
    Office: Cruger 117

    [email protected]

    Lucas Belfonti (He/Him)

    Area Coordinator for Cruger Village
    Office: Cruger 117

    [email protected]

    Residence Halls: Cruger Hall, Keen North & South, Bartlett, Oberholzer, Maple, Mulberry, Spruce, Sycamore, Hirsch & Tremblay

    About: Lucas graduated from Mount Saint Mary College with a BS in Accounting. He grew up in Connecticut and moved full time to the Hudson Valley area in 2020. Lucas likes puzzles, movies, and skydiving in his free time, and he hopes to travel the world one day.

Interested in joining our professional staff team?

Visit our human resources website for current openings.



 

Please reach out to ResLife Office (845) 758-7455 for available positions. Thank you

Residence Life and Housing

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Phone: 845-758-6822
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