Eleanor Finger named director of Housing and Residence Life

24 May 2011

Eleanor Finger, associate dean of students and director of Residence Life at Washington State University, will join Virginia Tech Aug. 3 as the director of Housing and Residence Life.

“We are pleased to have recruited such a talented educator to help lead the newly combined operations of Housing and Residence Life,” said Virginia Tech’s Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Frank Shushok. “Eleanor’s experience, educational philosophy, and well-developed leadership skills are an enormous asset as we make this transition and capitalize on the potential of residence halls to nurture relationships and facilitate learning.”

As director of Housing and Residence Life, Finger will be responsible for managing all aspects of Virginia Tech’s residential system, which encompasses 46 residence halls housing more than 9,000 students and 150 full-time and 300 part-time staff.

Finger will be responsible for advancing a student-focused, learning-based residential educational program that emphasizes personal growth and development. She will provide leadership for facilities management, assignments and occupancy management, residence life, educational programming, conference management, and assessment activities. Finger will advance already robust living-learning programs, and will launch two faculty-led residential colleges slated to open in 2011 and 2012.

"I'm looking forward to being a part of Virginia Tech's dynamic community and to working with such a talented Housing and Residence Life team," Finger said.

In addition to daily operations, Finger will be responsible for strategic planning, emergency planning, capital projects and construction, and the dispensation of maintenance reserve funding. As director, Finger will be a member of the Division of Student Affairs leadership group and will work to sustain and promote the division's Aspirations for Student Learning.

Finger earned her Ph.D. in higher education administration from Washington State University. She also holds an master's degree in counseling and human services from John Carroll University and a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Finger earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Elon University.