Rooted in authentic connection and engagement, Vanderbilt’s residential college experience is a special aspect of student life at the university. Undergraduate houses and colleges are led by faculty, with their families and pets, who live with students, creating another vibrant layer of learning and community. Meet the university’s newest faculty heads of house and heads of college in this special series.
Andrew Finch, professor of the practice in the Department of Human and Organizational Development and core faculty member for the Human Development Counseling program, is the faculty head of North House on The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons.
Finch’s research interests include the role of counseling in schools and “recovery high schools,” which are schools that create a support structure to help students recovering from substance use disorders.
- Name: Andy Finch
- Residential college: North House
- Years at Vanderbilt: I’ve been a full-time faculty member for 18 years, but I’ve been at Vanderbilt off and on for 30 years. I started my master’s program in human development counseling in 1994 and finished my Ph.D. in educational leadership in 2003.
- Hometown: I grew up in Kansas City, which will always be home. I moved to Nashville for graduate school in the 1990s and I never left, so Music City has become my hometown.
- Favorite song: Such a difficult question, because I love a range of music. My 2023 Spotify Wrapped top artists were Travis Scott, the Beatles, Frederic Chopin and Taylor Swift. If I had to choose a favorite song, though, it would probably be “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. I’d say my favorite band is Pearl Jam, and my favorite artist is Brandi Carlile.
- Favorite book: No question – The Power Broker, by Robert Caro.
Andrew Finch and his wife Deb outside Village at Vanderbilt in 1997. The two met as graduate students in the Human Development Counseling program. (Submitted) - Favorite food: Kansas City barbecue. I could eat that every day.
- Favorite spot on campus: The Peabody campus. I’ve loved it from the first time I visited over 30 years ago. I’m grateful I get to work here and now live at North House with a fabulous view of the Wyatt Lawn from our patio.
- What are you most looking forward to for the upcoming academic year? I can’t wait to meet the first-year students at North! I also have a book titled Salvaging a Teenage Wasteland: Origins of the Recovery High School Movement scheduled for release this fall.
- Why did you want to be a faculty head of house? As an alumnus with two Vanderbilt degrees, I have been a Commodore student, and I have learned the importance of faculty-student interaction. When my two children went to college, I realized the value of knowing there were caring adults involved in their resident halls. Serving as a faculty mentor and role model for Vanderbilt students in a residential setting is a way I can contribute to the university that has given me so much, and I look forward to the opportunity to share my strengths in this way.
- What does your family think about living on campus? My wife, Deb, and I met when we were students in the counseling program, and she lived at the Village at Vanderbilt, just steps from North House. Our sons, Michael and David, are both in college, so Deb and I will be the primary residents. For Deb, it feels like coming full circle, and she says this opportunity is a beautiful blend of gratitude for and giving back to Vanderbilt. Especially as she retires from serving as a K-12 school counselor this school year, she anticipates helping first-year Commodores grow and thrive in their new home.
- What advice do you have for new students coming to campus? Learn how to best maintain your mental, emotional and physical health. Take advantage of campus resources, ask for help and engage with your professors – introduce yourself, participate in class, and meet with them if you do not understand something. Getting assistance is not a sign of weakness but is proactive and empowering, and it will almost always help your full class experience, including grades. Finally, like you, your fellow residents and classmates have some of the brightest minds in the world. Get to know people with backgrounds and cultures different from your own – you will benefit from the experience, and so will they.
- Anything else you want people to know about you? My undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas was in broadcast journalism, and I was a professional sports announcer in Manhattan, Kansas, for two years before coming to Vanderbilt. I love sports, and baseball in particular – I am a lifelong Kansas City Royals fan. My wife, Deb, and I played slowpitch softball together for many years, even winning the Vanderbilt intramural championship when we were students. Several years later, we started a vintage “base ball” team, called the Travellers, playing by the rules of 1864, which featured wooden bats, no gloves and no fences. One of my fondest memories was winning the league championship in 2015 – just weeks before the Royals won their first World Series title in 30 years.
Andrew Finch with his family watching the Olympics in their North House apartment on The Ingram Commons (Harrison McClary/Vanderbilt)
- Read about other faculty heads of house and heads of college in this special series.
- Learn more about Vanderbilt’s residential colleges.
