About Us

Meet Our Team

The Office of Residential Life consists of a team of full-time professional staff and undergraduate student leaders who have dedicated themselves to our departmental mission and acting in accordance with our values. The residential life staff is committed to fostering an atmosphere in the halls and houses that will enhance the academic and co-curricular experience within the university community. The staff members are trained to focus on building living and learning communities that support the University's concept of Connected Learning. For a more detailed look at each of the seven professional staff members, please see below.

Director of Residential Life

Name: Woodrow Freese
Title: Director, Office of Residential Life
Office: 237 Edwards Student Center
Tel: (617) 243-2124
Email: wfreese@lasell.edu

Woodrow Freese joined Lasell University as the Director of Residential Life in October 2015. Woodrow oversees the day-to-day operations of Lasell University's 27 residence halls and houses, supervises the Coordinator of Housing Operations, the five Area Coordinators and serves as part of the Student Affairs management team. Woodrow earned his Master's Degree in Education from the University of Arizona and his Bachelor's Degree in Education from the State University of New York - Plattsburgh. Before coming to Lasell, Woodrow worked at Boston University as an Associate Director of Residence Life and served as the Director of Operations for Semester at Sea - a college study abroad program. During his free time, Woody can be found outside swimming, cycling and running, enjoying movies and traveling with family/friends.

Coordinator of Housing Operations

Name: Elisa Scarsella-Bayiates
Title: Coordinator of Housing Operations
Office: 234 Edwards Student Center
Tel: (617) 243-2124
Email: EScarsella@lasell.edu

Elisa Scarsella-Bayiates joined the Lasell community in 1999. Elisa manages the operations of all student residence halls. She is responsible for coordinating both returning and incoming student assignments including the annual room selection process and break housing. During her time at Lasell, Elisa has served as the advisor to the dance team, staff representative on the food committee and was previously on the Sustainability Committee to help promote sustainability practices across campus. She is currently on the Parking Committee and serves on the Risk Management Committee. In 2012, Elisa was awarded the SGA de Witt Spirit Award, which recognizes a faculty or staff person who embodies the love and spirit of Lasell University. Elisa received her undergraduate degree in Communications from Curry College in Milton, MA and her graduate degree in Integrated Marketing from Lasell University. When not hard at work Elisa enjoys Zumba, traveling, spending time with her family and friends and spoiling her dog, Cruiser.

Area Coordinators

Name: Amanda Smolenski
Title: Area Coordinator
Office: 238 Edwards Student Center
Buildings: Forest, Rockwell and West Halls
Tel: (617) 243-2015
Email: AS molenski@lasell.edu

Amanda started working at Lasell in March of 2019 and oversees Forest, Rockwell, and West Halls. Before coming to Lasell, Amanda worked as a Graduate Resident Director at Newbury College. Amanda earned her Bachelor's in Art from Westfield State University and is currently completing her Master's in Higher Education Administration from Bay Path University. In her free time, Amanda enjoys going to pop-punk concerts, doing escape rooms, and making art.

Name: Brandon Clark
Title: Area Coordinator
Office: 235 Edwards Student Center
Buildings: Arnow Campus Center, Butterworth, Holt & North Halls
Tel: (617) 243-2082
Email: BClark@lasell.edu

Brandon Clark joined the Lasell University community in February 2019. Brandon earned his Master's Degree in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor's Degree in Digital Film and Video Production from The New England Institute of Art in Brookline, MA. Brandon currently oversees 10 Resident Assistants in Arnow Campus Center, Butterworth, Holt & North Halls. In his spare time, Brandon enjoys playing basketball, video games, collecting sneakers, and going to movies.

Name: Cyntoya Simmons
Title: Area Coordinator
Office: 238 Edwards Student Center
Buildings: Bragdon Hall | Briggs, Chandler, Hoag, Karandon, Keever, Mott, Ordway and Pickard Houses
Tel: (617) 243-2128
Email: CSimmons@lasell.edu

Cyntoya started working at Lasell in August of 2018 and currently oversees Bragdon Hall, Karandon, Hoag, Briggs, Ordway, Chandler, Keever, Pickard, and Mott Houses. Before Lasell, Cyntoya worked at the Community College of Rhode Island in their Institutional Advancement department as a scholarship administrator and assistant to the VP of Institutional Advancement. In May 2019, Cyntoya earned her Master's degree online in Higher Education Administration from North Park University in Chicago, IL. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Journalism with a minor in Leadership from the University of Rhode Island. Cyntoya continues to mentor college students, loves social justice conversations, international music and everything Beyonce.

Name: David DupreWilson
Title: Area Coordinator
Office: 235 Edwards Student Center
Buildings: East, McClelland and Van Winkle Halls | Haskell and Spence Houses
Tel: (617) 243-2123
Email: DDuprewilson@lasell.edu

David DupreWilson joined the Lasell University community in August 2019. David earned his Master's Degree in Higher Education in Student Affairs from Salem State University and a Bachelor's Degree in History and Women's and Gender Studies from Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. David currently oversees 11 Resident Assistants in East, McClelland, Van Winkle Halls, Haskell and Spence Houses. In his spare time, David enjoys playing video games, spending time with friends and family, and playing/watching sports.

Name: Kevin Castiglioni
Title: Area Coordinator
Office: 235 Edwards Student Center
Buildings: Woodland Hall | Carpenter, Case, Cushing and Gardner Houses
Tel: (617) 243-2129
Email: KCastiglioni@lasell.edu

Kevin uses He/Him/His pronouns and hails from the lovely town of Milford, MA. Kevin joined the Lasell University team as an Area Coordinator in August of 2019. Kevin earned his Master's degree at Rutgers University in New Jersey and his Bachelor's degree at UMass Amherst. Kevin oversees Woodland Hall, Carpenter, Case, Cushing, and Gardner Houses. Kevin is passionate about social justice issues, particularly issues impacting queer communities. In Kevin's free time he likes to cook, make pottery, and enjoy the smaller things in life.

Resident Assistants

Resident Assistants (RAs) at Lasell University are integral members of the Residential Life staff. At this time, we have 50 RAs on campus, broken up into staffs, consisting of 10 RAs, and led by one of our Area Coordinators. RAs promote and support a safe and healthy residential environment that is supportive of students' personal and academic growth. RAs act as community developers, supporters of the academic and departmental mission statement, community standards educators, peer advisors, role models, team members, housing and facilities liaisons, and administrators, while remaining in good academic standing at Lasell University.

It is expected that students serving as Resident Assistants will place their RA position second only to their academic obligations and responsibilities. RAs are encouraged to maintain interests and activities outside of their role within the Department of Residential Life, utilizing strong time management skills effectively. Outside employment and extra-curricular activities should not detract from a student's effectiveness and/or availability in the RA position.

Over the course of an academic year, the Resident Assistant position averages 15 - 20 hours per week. However, there will be periods of time when staffing demands may be greater. These include, but are not limited to RA training, the opening, and closing of residence halls, special activities, campus crises, etc. All Residential Life staff is expected to be available and respond as needed.

More information about where our RAs are located and how to contact them will be added in the future. If you'd like to learn more about the RA Position, please visit our RA Selection Process page; we are currently accepting applications for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Mission Statement

The Office of Residential Life strives to provide a safe and welcoming residential community that promotes student growth and social responsibility while supporting the University's connected learning philosophy. We do this through engaging students in both social and educational opportunities, encouraging accountability through the enforcement of community standards, and working to foster positive student interactions with members of the faculty and staff.

Residential Life Values:

Safety: Creating and maintaining a safe and welcoming community
Development: Fostering student growth, individual well-being, and supporting a positive academic experience
Responsibility: Promoting social responsibility, healthy decision-making, and environmental stewardship
Integrity: Demonstrating a departmental commitment to integrity through our policies and procedures
Diversity: Celebrating diversity through civil interactions and dialogue

Residential Life Diversity Statement:

The Office of Residential Life at Lasell University works to foster a diverse and inclusive environment that respects, acknowledges and celebrates all differences for members of our community. Through intentional educational efforts, we commit ourselves to provide not only a safe and secure living environment but also one in which each individual feels comfortable and appreciated for what makes them who they are. We support this mission through ongoing initiatives such as:

Supporting Connected Learning through diversity programming;
Providing Gender Neutral housing options;
Developing and facilitating Ally Training for Residential Life Staff; and
Collaborating with campus partners to create inclusive events.

Campus Life