1:35 p.m., Sept. 2, 2008----George Brelsford, former associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., has been appointed dean of students at the University of Delaware, and Dawn Thompson, executive director of housing and residence life at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will join UD in November as assistant vice president for student life, Michael Gilbert, vice president for student life, has announced.

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Brelsford, who joined the University on Aug. 18, will partner with all campus units to provide support services that promote the personal development and academic success of undergraduate, graduate and professional students at the University of Delaware, Gilbert said.

“I am very excited to be at the University of Delaware--it's a great opportunity to work with great people at an outstanding university,” Brelsford said. “My family and I are glad to be part of the UD community. I am looking forward to our students returning and getting the semester underway. A campus really isn't a campus until the students arrive.”

Brelsford will serve as the senior administrative officer for student life in the absence of the vice president. He also will provide leadership and supervision for the Center for Counseling and Student Development, the Office of Judicial Affairs, the Student Services for Athletes program, and the Center for Black Culture.

He will liaise with University safety and security staff and coordinate a team of student life professionals charged with policy and systems development, and real-time response to critical incidents and student emergencies.

During his more than 20 years at Rowan, Brelsford also served as the assistant vice president for residence life and student programs and as the director of residence life.

Brelsford holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership/higher education from Rowan University, a master's degree in counseling/student personnel services from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor's degree in biology from Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia.

Thompson, who will join the University on Nov. 4, will work with academic administrators, faculty members, student leaders and student life staff to enhance student engagement, integrate academic and student life and make the learning environment more seamless, Gilbert said.

“I am pleased to be joining the University of Delaware community during this exciting time in the University's history,” Thompson said. “I look forward with great enthusiasm to working with the staff and students to create a more engaging and supportive community as outlined in the strategic plan for the University's Path to Prominence^TM.”

Thompson also will coordinate strategic planning and assessment activities for student life and provide leadership and supervision for career services, housing assignments, residence life and the Wellspring student wellness program.

In addition to her 11 years at the University of Massachusetts, Thompson also held administrative assignments at Ithaca College, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Wisconsin Whitewater.

Thompson holds a master's degree in student personnel work in higher education from Ohio State University and a bachelor's degree in accounting and business administration from Wittenberg University.

Article by Martin Mbugua