Vanderbilt Residential Colleges announces a new faculty head of Sutherland House on The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons. Jesse Spencer-Smith, interim director and chief data scientist at the Data Science Institute and professor of the practice of computer science, will assume the role of faculty head beginning Jan. 1, 2025. He will succeed Chezare Warren, associate professor of equity and inclusion in education policy in the Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations, who has served as faculty head since 2021.
“We are excited to welcome Jesse Spencer-Smith into this important role,” said Melissa Gresalfi, dean of residential colleges and residential education. “Jesse’s leadership at the Data Science Institute, along with his expertise in computer science and data analytics, will bring a fresh perspective to The Commons. We look forward to the engaging, intellectually vibrant community we know he will create for our students.”
As faculty head, Spencer-Smith will live in Sutherland House and work closely with students, guiding student-driven programming, facilitating community-building events and offering mentorship opportunities that encourage academic, personal and social growth. Having just concluded his second year as a faculty VUceptor, he and his student partner, Shaian Alphonse, were recently nominated for the VUceptor Pair of the Year Award, highlighting his dedication to building impactful faculty-student connections in the Visions program and beyond.
With extensive experience in leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration, Spencer-Smith is well-prepared to make a lasting impact. In addition to his role at the Data Science Institute, he is a professor of the practice of computer science, teaching courses in data science and its applications across disciplines. His expertise will help build connections between students and faculty from diverse fields, further enriching the community that Warren has cultivated at Sutherland House over the last three years.
Warren’s contributions to Sutherland House have been instrumental in creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where students feel supported both academically and personally.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have served as faculty head of Sutherland House,” Warren said. “Our students are talented, and my colleagues in Residential Colleges are exceptionally kind. Being faculty head ranks highly among my most rewarding professional endeavors, and I will reflect fondly on my time in this role for many years to come. While I will miss being faculty head, I look forward to advancing my research agenda, which includes much-needed time to complete my next book project. #OneSutherland forever.”
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Tiffiny Tung acknowledged Warren’s impact, saying, “We are grateful for Chezare’s leadership and look forward to seeing where his next opportunity takes him. At the same time, we’re excited to welcome Jesse to Sutherland House, where his leadership will continue to enhance our students’ living-learning experiences.”
About the faculty head role
The faculty head plays a vital role in shaping the residential college experience at Vanderbilt, serving as a mentor and guiding student-driven initiatives that promote intellectual exchange, community engagement and leadership development. Faculty heads live among students in their residential colleges and offer support for academic and personal growth, making the residence halls dynamic centers of activity.
For more information about residential colleges and faculty leadership positions, visit the Residential Colleges website.
