Three professors have been appointed as new faculty heads in residential colleges for the 2025–26 academic year, as announced by Dean of Residential Colleges and Residential Education Melissa Gresalfi.
The upper-division residential colleges will welcome Jesús Ruiz, who will lead Moore College, and The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons will welcome Gilbert Gonzales as faculty head of Crawford House and Justin Quarry as faculty head of East House.
“Faculty heads are essential in creating vibrant living-learning communities where students grow intellectually and personally. We are excited to welcome Professors Ruiz, Gonzales and Quarry into these roles and appreciate the unique perspectives they will bring,” Provost C. Cybele Raver said. “We also extend our deep gratitude to the outgoing faculty heads Professors Kurtulus, McMahon and Meadows for their dedicated service and lasting impact on our residential communities.”
Faculty heads are instrumental in shaping students’ experiences outside the classroom. Residential Colleges, part of the Provost’s Office of Undergraduate Education, fosters a dynamic living-learning environment that integrates academic experiences into everyday life through the collaboration of faculty heads and Residential Colleges staff. “Faculty heads are educators, scholars, mentors and community builders. By living alongside students, they create a culture where learning extends beyond the classroom, fostering meaningful connections with faculty, university resources, and diverse perspectives that shape the student,” Vice Provost Tiffiny Tung said.
- Gilbert Gonzales is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Health and Society, director of Public Policy Studies and associate director of the LGBTQ+ Policy Lab at Vanderbilt. He teaches courses in health policy, quantitative research methods and LGBTQ+ health. In 2016 he was awarded a chancellor’s award for his research at Vanderbilt.
- Justin Quarry, BA’03, is principal senior lecturer in the Department of English. A renowned author, Quarry’s works have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, New York Daily News, The Southern Review, New England Review and more. Among other honors, Quarry has received the Normal Prize in Fiction from The Normal School literary magazine, the Robert Olen Butler Prize for short fiction, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, and Individual Artist Fellowships from the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Arkansas Arts Council.
- Jesús Ruiz is an assistant professor of the practice in Caribbean studies. He is a historian of Latin America and the Caribbean and is under contract for his first book studying the history of Haiti and its monumental revolution of 1791–1804. Ruiz has also received awards for excellence in teaching from the Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies, Tulane University and Vanderbilt University. He teaches courses on Afro-Latin America, Migration in the Americas, and Caribbean Studies.
With new appointments comes a profound appreciation for the outgoing faculty heads and the impacts they have made in their respective communities. Ending their service as faculty heads at the close of the 2024–25 academic year are:
- Mumin Kurtulus, faculty head of Moore College and associate professor of operations management at the Owen Graduate School of Management
- Doug McMahon, faculty head of Crawford House, professor of biological sciences and director of the interdisciplinary neuroscience program
- Elizabeth Meadows, faculty head of East House, assistant dean and director of undergraduate education for the College of Arts and Science and principal senior lecturer in the Department of English
“A core feature of the residential colleges system is faculty-student connections. There is something really special about getting to live and learn together that is unlike any other faculty-student relationship that forms on campus. I am so excited about the new faculty who will be joining our team this year. At the same time, it is always sad to say goodbye to those who have been such an important part of our community,” Gresalfi said. “Professors Kurtulus, McMahon and Meadows will be greatly missed. Each has brought their own warmth and welcome to their residents and helped to make Moore College, Crawford House and East House such incredible communities that feel like home.”
A full list of the current cohort of Vanderbilt’s residential faculty is on the Residential Colleges website. Faculty interested in learning more about faculty head positions and the application process are encouraged to contact Gresalfi.
Faculty interested in a faculty head position should complete an application, which includes uploading:
- A letter of interest, including any relevant qualifications, experience or expertise
- A current CV
Residential Colleges maintains a list of interested faculty on an ongoing basis. Faculty will be contacted and interviewed as new opportunities emerge; thus, there is no set deadline for applications. Letters of interest will remain active and on file for five years.
