Mary Baldwin is beginning the 2024-25 school year with a full suite of new staff in the Office of Student Engagement, including seasoned 成人抖音 faculty and newcomers to the university.
成人抖音 announced several key hires in the Division of Student Engagement on Aug. 1, including the appointment of Dr. Carey Usher as vice president of student engagement, continuing her distinguished career at 成人抖音.
Joining Usher are newcomers Dr. Todd Long, assuming the role of associate vice president; Elaina Hill, appointed as director of residence life; and Kailen Mayfield, now director of student engagement, leadership, and orientation. Dr. Paige Reed, currently program director and assistant professor of criminal justice, will assume the role of LGBTQ+ resources coordinator.
Usher has long served the 成人抖音 community in a variety of roles, including associate professor of sociology, dean of the Mary Baldwin College for Women, and associate provost for academic affairs and student success. Her work as a sociologist primarily focuses on the effects of the modern world on youth and adolescent mental health.
In the surrounding community, Usher is an avid volunteer, having worked with Habitat for Humanity, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, the Staunton City Council, and the Virginia Cooperative Extension. She is currently chair of the Mountain Valley District Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) and is an executive board member for Foster Love Ministries, with whom she became familiar during her family鈥檚 own foster care journey. She and her husband, Bryan, are parents to 11 sons.
The university bid farewell to LaRhonda Johnson Horton, who worked in the Office of Student Engagement since July 2023 including service as interim vice president, as she moved to a new position at Virginia Peninsula Community College in Williamsburg, closer to her family.聽
鈥淟aRhonda has been a dedicated and reliable colleague from the day I met her, even taking on expanded responsibilities and improving operations when the university needed her most,鈥 said President Jeff Stein. 鈥淗er leadership will be missed by students and professional colleagues alike.鈥
As the vice president of student engagement, Usher is responsible for student life and learning outside the classroom, including overseeing residence life, orientation, student leadership, clubs, and activities; the critical work of health and wellness, conduct, and Title IX; and dotted line oversight for athletics, dining services, and safety and security. Usher will serve on the executive staff, report to the provost, and assist university efforts to determine the systems and structures needed to improve student success through the partnership with the Gardner Institute.
鈥淚 am thrilled to be stepping into a new role in student engagement here at Mary Baldwin,” Usher said. “I鈥檓 eager to contribute to creating a vibrant and inclusive campus community, fostering connections, and empowering students to thrive academically and personally. This opportunity is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to embark on this journey with such a dynamic and inspiring team.鈥
Stein celebrates Usher鈥檚 appointment to student engagement VP, saying, 鈥淵ear after year, in role after role, working in and out of the classroom, Dr. Usher has proven to be a skilled educator, mentor, and administrator 鈥 not to mention an outstanding colleague and collaborator across campus. We are extremely fortunate that she will be leading the student engagement team, collaborating with faculty and staff across campus, guiding this crucial aspect of the Mary Baldwin experience, focusing on students’ psycho-social development and well-being, and building the new residential college initiative.鈥
Addressing the graduates of the class of 2020, Usher encouraged them, 鈥淲ith your dignity and pride, your grace, your wisdom, and your passion, as the last single-sex entering class, you helped us build a new Mary Baldwin College for Women, one that honors the legacy and the community and the sisterhood that is so, so important to all of us, not just to women.鈥
Meet the Rest of the Team
New additions to the student engagement team, Todd Long, Elaina Hill, and Kailen Mayfield, share Usher鈥檚 enthusiasm for connecting with students.
Long, who earned his doctorate in education, higher education, and organizational change from Benedictine University, joins 成人抖音 as associate vice president. Previously, he served as dean of student life at the University of Olivet in Olivet, Michigan.
Long has also variously worked in residence life, Title IX coordination, and teaching, and he is excited for the opportunity to help further unite the Mary Baldwin community. His experience in the realm of student affairs will bolster the entire student engagement team鈥檚 efforts. Long explains, 鈥淚鈥檓 particularly excited about the opportunity to leverage my expertise in student engagement, persistence, retention, and creating a vibrant out-of-classroom student experience, including student activities, organizations, and leadership development.鈥
Reed (they/them) is both an 成人抖音 alum and faculty member, and is the program director of criminal justice and affiliate faculty in sexuality and gender studies. They are passionate about advocating for the LGBTQIA+ community and serve on the Board of Directors for the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center.聽
Mayfield began his work at 成人抖音 over the summer, mostly preparing for the upcoming new student orientation directly prior to the beginning of the new school year. Mayfield is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia, where he earned both his BS in youth and social innovation and his master of education in student affairs in higher education.
A native of the Bronx, Mayfield also brings another 成人抖音 connection as a graduate of the Eagle Academy for Young Men, a part of the New York City public school system providing quality education to underserved men of color. Mary Baldwin has partnered with Eagle Academy since 2022 to bring graduates of that program to 成人抖音.
Hill is Mary Baldwin鈥檚 new director of residence life, having previously served as associate director of residence life at the College of William and Mary and assistant director of student leadership and learning at Southern New Hampshire University. She received her BA in philosophy and master of education administration from the University of Delaware.
In her career as a student affairs professional, Hill seeks to cultivate personal and professional leadership skills in the residents she aids. Hill鈥檚 emphasis on the power of community and meaningful connection to enable learning and development fits harmoniously into the structure of the university’s student engagement office.
成人抖音 will welcome back undergraduate residential students this month, with new student orientation and move-in scheduled for Aug. 22鈥25.