Updates from Student Affairs
The Student Affairs division developed a new mission statement in spring 2021 and this winter we took more steps to align our structure to that mission.
Pacific University’s Student Affairs fosters the holistic development of all students by supporting inclusion, engagement, well-being, and learning so that students may realize their personal potential.
We are sharing these changes with the campus community to keep you informed of the people and programs within Student Affairs and the work that we do to help support Pacific.
We all welcome your ideas and questions about how our entire Student Affairs team can further student development through our new structure.
Pete Erschen has been promoted to dean of student engagement and inclusion. In this role, Pete will be responsible for student senates, student government, student activities, the centers under Student Affairs, and our outreach programs. Pete began working at Pacific in 2002, after working in residence life at both University of Oregon and Kansas State University, where he also earned his MS in student personnel. During his time at Pacific, Pete has served in a variety of student affairs roles, including as interim co-director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion during the 2016-2017 school year. Pete looks forward to bringing students and staff from across the university together to nurture our campus community and opportunities for inclusive student involvement.
Dr. Laura E. Stallings has been promoted to dean of student wellbeing. In this role, Laura will be responsible for our student support efforts, Counseling Center, and student mental health promotion and prevention programming. This is Laura’s eighth year at Pacific. She holds a PsyD in clinical psychology with a concentration in traumatic stress studies from Adler University in Chicago, and has served as the director of the Student Counseling Center since 2019. Laura is looking forward to ongoing collaborations with university stakeholders to continue developing innovative ways to center student wellbeing during their academic pursuits.
Lindsey Blem '07 has been promoted to Dean of Student Development and Campus Living. In this role, Lindsey will be responsible for residential life and learning, student conduct, housing and orientation for Forest Grove undergraduates. A Pacific alumna, Lindsey holds an MS in Educational Leadership and Policy from Portland State University. She has worked at Pacific since 2007 in residence life, student conduct, and as interim dean of students during 2020-2021. Lindsey is looking forward to working with campus partners to provide dynamic and enriching student experiences as well as discovering new and better ways to deliver our services.
Lisa Aiello '91 has been promoted to Director of Student Affairs Operations and Strategic Initiatives. In this role, Lisa will be responsible for auxiliary operations such as dining and the bookstore, will oversee conference and events services, as well as short-term housing operations, and will work with the vice president of Student Affairs to identify and pursue new initiatives that improve the student and guest experience on campus and develop revenue potential for the university. Lisa is in her 30th year at Pacific University. She graduated from Pacific in 1991 and studied psychology and social work. Lisa has been involved or overseen many new processes or housing options, such as four additional residence halls, housing lottery, holiday housing, managing conference housing and off-campus housing. Lisa is looking forward to learning, enhancing current efforts, and creating new opportunities with the team. She is excited about developing new relationships and continuing to have fun, work hard and be a positive influence for the Pacific community and our guests.
As we are adjusting to our new structure, if you have questions or are uncertain about who you should contact, please visit our webpage or reach out to me or to Jennifer Teeter, executive assistant and programs manager, and we will get you pointed in the right direction. We look forward to working with you!