An Update on the Office of BGLTQ Student Life

July 19, 2016

Dear Harvard College Community,

I write with an update on staffing changes at the Office of BGLTQ Student Life. As you may know, Van Bailey, the inaugural Director of BGLTQ Student Life, accepted a position at the University of Miami in June 2016. We plan to launch a national search for a full-time director in the Fall with significant input from students, staff, and faculty.

In the meantime, Sheehan Scarborough, Assistant Director of Student Services at the Harvard Summer School and a Proctor in the Freshman Dean’s Office, has agreed to serve as the Interim Director of BGLTQ Student Life. He will begin this new role on August 22, 2016.

Sheehan graduated from Harvard College in 2007 with an AB in Government. After graduating from college, Sheehan taught history and politics for two years at Winchester College in the UK and received a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from the Harvard Divinity School in 2014. Sheehan served for two years as a seminarian in The Memorial Church where he co-founded the Faith and Sexuality Initiative and has spent six years as a proctor and academic adviser to the freshman class, while also serving as a Race Relations Specialty Proctor.

Additionally, the College is currently in the midst of a national search for an Assistant Director of BGLTQ Student Life. We have invited three finalists for campus interviews during the week of July 25. We will post the dates of the interviews and times the candidates are available to meet with members of the Harvard College community.

I am delighted to announce that Keith Mason will remain with the Office of BGLTQ Student Life as a Program Coordinator. Keith brings a wealth of experience as a Harvard College graduate of 2013, a former Women’s Center intern, and most recently as the Fellow for the Student Organization Center at Hilles. He has been instrumental to the Office of BGLTQ Student Life as we transition through the summer and prepare for the Fall opening.

I want to thank Martha C. Franco, Administrative Fellow for BGLTQ Student Life, for her dedication to the office and incredible work in the spring semester to support the interns and operations of BGLTQ Student Life. Martha's leadership kept the office running at high capacity despite a challenging transition. Martha will begin a Ph.D. program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the Fall.

If you have questions or concerns during the summer and through the transition, please feel free to contact me directly.

Warm regards,
Emelyn A. dela Peña, Ed.D.
Assistant Dean of Student Life for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion