1st female dean candidate to visit campus

Two down, two to go.

The second week of potential dean of students visits will continue today with Lori Reesor, the current associate vice president for student success at the University of Kansas, at 5 p.m. at the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union.

Reesor said she was attracted to IU because of its similarities to KU.

“There are a lot of parallels between KU and IU,” Reesor said.

Both universities are members of the Association of American Universities, she said, a group of 62 institutions dedicated to research in the United States and Canada, according to the association’s Web site.

Reesor also compared KU’s home of Lawrence, Kan., to Bloomington, since both are progressive college towns in conservative Midwestern states.

To prepare to have a conversation with Hoosiers, Reesor said she has done a lot of research, such as reading the Indiana Daily Student, talking to IU students and alumni and catching up on her IU history.

“I have a mentor who did three degrees at IU,” Reesor said. “He gave me two books about Herman B Wells.”

According to Reesor’s resume, she has been involved with student affairs since she was the head resident assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she earned an undergraduate degree in business management.

Reesor said she enjoys students because of their “general curiosity and passion.”

“They’re the future, so it’s important I learn from them and gain more knowledge from their views,” Reesor said. “I value and learn from students every day.”