From: Holly Sateia, Dean of Student Life
To: President's Administrative Forum
It is with regret that I inform you that Tommy Lee Woon, our first Associate Dean of Student Life for the Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL), is resigning to become the Dean of Multicultural Affairs at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Tommy came to us from Stanford University and is leaving us after four years to assume a senior administrative position with a broad range of responsibilities. He will be working with students, faculty, and senior administrators to enhance Macalester's focus on excellence in liberal arts with a special emphasis on multiculturalism, internationalism, and service.
Tommy's contributions at Dartmouth have been numerous including: establishing and aligning OPAL's mission and core functions ; enhancing the "Experiences"program , an orientation program for incoming students on diversity and community; popularizing the "Crossing the Line" program to promote inclusion in the Greek system by personally conducting over 35 of these programs in Greek houses; helping to establish the Inter-Community Council; and leading OPAL in developing a comprehensive and integrated approach for making diversity and leadership complementary and meaningful to the lives of all Dartmouth students.
Besides his contributions to the undergraduate College, Tommy spent 20% of his time at the Dartmouth Medical School where he taught a class that promoted physician self-care, emotional literacy and cultural competency. This class allowed him to begin testing the application of Somatic Experience, a trauma recovery method to social trauma and prejudice reduction. Additionally, he worked closely with medical school staff and faculty to promote cultural competency and relationship-centered care.
Tommy has frequently stated that his position at Dartmouth has been his dream job, and I know he will miss the company of everyone he has met on campus and in the Upper Valley community. His decision to leave was soley motivated by family and life style considerations.
Tommy will remain at Dartmouth until mid-August, and we will have a chance to wish him well in the upcoming weeks. Over the summer, I will use the time that we have to engage colleagues in discussions regarding how we can best continue the good and important work that OPAL and the division have achieved in creating a more inclusive campus. I will also be working more closely with the OPAL staff to ensure a smooth transition and will keep you informed of our progress.
Please join me in wishing Tommy and Thea the very best as they prepare to leave.
