That’s My Job

Meet Mark Turcotte, distinguished writer in residence

Meet Mark Turcotte, distinguished writer in residence

Mark Turcotte (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe) joined DePaul in 2009 and has sparked and shaped the literary ambitions of DePaul students ever since.​

Meet Darryl Arrington: Proud alum and assistant vice president for student affairs

Meet Darryl Arrington: Proud alum and assistant vice president for student affairs

With more than 30 years of higher education experience, Darryl Arrington, a Double Demon and assistant vice president for Student Affairs, oversees the Office of Multicultural Student Success, Federal TRiO and Access and Attainment pr​​ograms, which provide a wide range of opportunities and services for underrepresented students.

Meet Kathleen Rooney: Spreading the love of literature

Meet Kathleen Rooney: Spreading the love of literature

Rooney, the author of 12 books, a senior professional lecturer in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and one of DePaul's 125 Faces, uses her creative writing and literature classes to offer students the freedom to explore without judgment, aiming to stoke their creativity and encourage them to push boundaries.​

Meet Isis Walker: Coordinator of the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center

Meet Isis Walker: Coordinator of the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center

​​​​​​All students need to be uplifted and supported during college, especially during the first couple of years. But certain populations... read more

Meet Jessie Gowens: Coordinating The Theatre School costume shop

Meet Jessie Gowens: Coordinating The Theatre School costume shop

​They happen in a matter of seconds, typically 90 or less. The costume quick change is an essential component of live theatre, one of the field’s most logistical challenges and a feat that takes a small team to pull off. Behind those magical moments at DePaul is Jessie Gowens, the wardrobe supervisor for The Theatre School.

Meet Brenda Williams: Creating career path connections for students

Meet Brenda Williams: Creating career path connections for students

​Whether through financial fitness or career experiences, for more than 16 years Brenda Williams has dedicated her time and expertise to helping Blue Demons move to their highest potential. In November, Williams took on the role of manage director of the Career Center, helping students build confidence and skills, and explore career possibilities.​

Meet Rod Waters: Elevating residential education

Meet Rod Waters: Elevating residential education

​Living in a dorm is a quintessential part of the college experience for many students. Not only are residence halls a place students can call home, they can be a source of engagement and community building outside of the classroom. At the helm of DePaul's on-campus residence halls is Rod Waters, the director of residential education.​

Meet Tonya Baez: DePaul's new associate vice president of risk management

Meet Tonya Baez: DePaul's new associate vice president of risk management

​This fall, DePaul named Tonya Baez as its associate vice president of risk management. A new role at the university, Baez will oversee the university's risk management organization, comprised of internal audit, compliance and enterprise risk management.​

Genevieve Beaulieu: The School of Music’s organizational rock star

Genevieve Beaulieu: The School of Music’s organizational rock star

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic mostly quieting the halls of the School of Music’s Holtschneider Performance Center, Genevieve Beaulieu’s days haven’t slowed down.​​

Meet Cheryl Hover: Associate director of emergency management for DePaul

Meet Cheryl Hover: Associate director of emergency management for DePaul

​​​​Cheryl Hover has been working to protect the DePaul community for 25 years. The COVID-19 crisis is no exception. As associate director of emergency management in Public Safety, Hover has worked around the clock since the first day of DePaul's response to COVID-19 to ensure the campus community is informed and safe.  

Meet Christopher Love: Sharing scholarship knowledge with students in need

Meet Christopher Love: Sharing scholarship knowledge with students in need

​Christopher Love, the scholarship coordinator and operations manager in the Office of Multicultural Student Success, strives to ensure undergraduate students and first-generation college students receive the financial support and find the resources they need.

Meet Jill King: Connecting campus with music resources

Meet Jill King: Connecting campus with music resources

​Whether you're a student in the School of Music in search of a new piece to perform or a staff member on the Loop Campus looking to stream tunes at your desk, Jill King is here to help. Since 2008, King has served as the music librarian in DePaul University Library, helping community members find the music and audio resources they need. ​

Meet Courtney James: Shaping lives through campus involvement

Meet Courtney James: Shaping lives through campus involvement

​From working through the logistics of moving the 2019 Ugly Sweater Party indoors or answering questions from a student organization about an upcoming event, no two days look the same for Courtney James, director of student involvement at DePaul.

Meet Mark Little: Keeping campus dining up to date

Meet Mark Little: Keeping campus dining up to date

​From winning gold and silver medals in cooking competitions to working under James Beard Award winning chef Shawn McClain, Mark Little’s resume is full of culinary experience. Now the resident district manager for Chartwells at DePaul, Little immerses himself in all things related to food service at the university.​

Sachiko Larrimore: Helping students gain access to English language skills

Sachiko Larrimore: Helping students gain access to English language skills

​Since 2016, Sachiko Larrimore has lent her time and expertise to DePaul’s English Language Academy. With a background in college counseling and student services, Larrimore is the admissions coordinator for enrollment in the ELA and the first point of contact for many of the university’s international students.​

Brittany Royce: Directing Corcoran and McCabe Halls

Brittany Royce: Directing Corcoran and McCabe Halls

​While most faculty, staff and students hunkered down during the polar vortex earlier this February, Brittany Royce and her fellow residence hall directors were on campus and on-call to ensure the students who live in DePaul residence halls were safe.​ Since 2016, Royce has been the residence hall director and resident education administrator for Corcoran and McCabe Halls on the Lincoln Park Campus. 

Meet Mark Matijevich: Feeding DePaul’s on-campus diners

Meet Mark Matijevich: Feeding DePaul’s on-campus diners

If you’ve dined on campus this academic year, you likely have noticed updates and new options in the dining halls at DePaul. From expanded menus to the new all-you-can-eat system​, these updates were made in hopes of giving diners greater value and more flexibility with their meals. Leading the Chartwells team behind these changes and updates is Mark Matijevich, executive chef for DePaul.

Michael Sportiello: Leading behind the scenes at the School of Music

Michael Sportiello: Leading behind the scenes at the School of Music

​Today, Nov. 1, the DePaul School of Music kicks off “Unveiled: A Celebration of Music,” an 11-day music festival to honor the newly constructed Holtschneider Performance Center. While the eyes and ears of faculty, staff, students and the broader Chicago community will tune in to the performances on stage, the School of Music's technical director, Michael Sportiello, will be behind the scenes, ensuring the more than 40 festival events run smoothly.​

Jessica Landis: DePaul's new Title IX coordinator

Jessica Landis: DePaul's new Title IX coordinator

​Earlier this month, Jessica Landis joined the DePaul community as the university’s new Title IX coordinator. Though she has only been on campus a few weeks, her work and commitment to sexual and relationship violence awareness, prevention and response go back to her undergraduate career. ​​

Joshua Smyser-DeLeon: Connecting students through faith and culture

Joshua Smyser-DeLeon: Connecting students through faith and culture

​Since January 2017, Joshua Smyser-DeLeon has served in DePaul's Catholic Campus Ministry as a coordinator of faith formation and the Latinx outreach coordinator. From organizing faith-based retreats to helping Latinx students become leaders in their communities, Smyser-DeLeon dedicates his time on campus to creating a welcoming environment for Blue Demons from all backgrounds.​

JD Davis: Tending to the animals at DePaul

JD Davis: Tending to the animals at DePaul

​Since 2002, JD Davis has dedicated his time to tending to the animals that live in the College of Science and Health's research support facility. Read on to learn more about how the university's 84-year-old animal caretaker lends his decades of experience to the DePaul community.​

Jameson Dixon, Jr.: Connecting students with career opportunities

Jameson Dixon, Jr.: Connecting students with career opportunities

​During the 2016-17 academic year, nearly 3,000 students attended DePaul's job and internship fairs. Standing by at these fairs to answer questions and work with employers is Jameson Dixon, Jr., the Career Center's job fair and events manager. Read on to learn how Dixon strives to connect DePaul students with career opportunities. ​

Mary Jo Rizzo: Helping protect dePaul's community and reputation

Mary Jo Rizzo: Helping protect dePaul's community and reputation

​For more than 11 years, compliance manager Mary Jo Rizzo has played a role in developing and maintaining the training that helps protect DePaul faculty and staff and, ultimately, the university's reputation. Read on to learn more about her role and the compliance team at DePaul.​

Brooke Shannon: Guiding students to graduation

Brooke Shannon: Guiding students to graduation

​With more than 55 majors, minors and programs, and abundant courses, options in the College of Computing and Digital Media can seem endless. Thankfully, senior academic advisor Brooke Shannon is available to help students navigate those options. Read on to learn how Shannon and her colleagues help more than 4,600 students succeed at DePaul and beyond.​

The Reverend Dan Paul Borlik, CM: Serving at the DePaul soup kitchen

The Reverend Dan Paul Borlik, CM: Serving at the DePaul soup kitchen

​In addition to his priestly duties as the chaplain in Catholic Campus Ministry, the Rev. Dan Paul Borlik, C.M., manages DePaul Mondays at the DePaul Soup Kitchen. Whether rolling up his sleeves to help heat meals or leading reflection sessions for volunteers, each week Fr. Dan helps create a meaningful experience for all those involved with the kitchen. ​

Sara Rocus: Keeping chemistry safe

Sara Rocus: Keeping chemistry safe

​From setting up equipment and lab space for faculty to disposing chemical waste to tracking inventory, lab manager and safety officer Sara Rocus ensures DePaul’s chemistry labs are safe and ready for use.​

Marty Murphy: Helping fans create lasting memories

Marty Murphy: Helping fans create lasting memories

​Whether in person, through email or over the phone, Marty Murphy, the associate athletics director for ticket sales and operations, spends his time on campus chatting with people about the upcoming sports season and Wintrust Arena, encouraging the broader university community to be part of something special.​

Mehmet Gokcek: Painting with a purpose

Mehmet Gokcek: Painting with a purpose

​From the 17th floor of the Lewis Center to the theatres in the basement of the Richard M. and Maggie C. Daley Building, there isn't a room on DePaul's Loop Campus that Mehmet Gokcek hasn't touched with a brush. Since 2005, the paint foreman has spent his days in a paint speckled uniform keeping the Loop Campus looking fresh and clean.​

Lydia Marsette: Smoothing the seams at commencement

Lydia Marsette: Smoothing the seams at commencement

​Since the 1990s, Lydia Marsette, now an events and office manager for the Office of Graduate Admission, has volunteered her time at DePaul’s commencement ceremonies to ensure the special guests sitting on stage are wrinkle-free, robed and know where they need to be before the procession begins.​

Lorne Henne: Building relationships through messaging

Lorne Henne: Building relationships through messaging

​For 25 years, Information Services' Lorne Henne has helped people across the university connect with each other and the broader DePaul community. Read on to learn how he coordinates and tracks email communications from groups and departments to provide timely and targeted messages that help maintain and build relationships.​

Kevin McCann: Keeping the clock for Blue Demon basketball

Kevin McCann: Keeping the clock for Blue Demon basketball

​By day, Kevin McCann is one of five academic advisors in the College of Education. What many people don't know about McCann is that he has been the official timer for almost every DePaul men's basketball game for nearly 50 years.​

Sophie Kosmala: Handling the holidays at DePaul

Sophie Kosmala: Handling the holidays at DePaul

​Every year in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, an enormous nativity scene pops up overnight in the DePaul Center on the Loop Campus. Though it may seem Christmas elves are responsible for the display, it really is the work of facility operations manager Sophie Kosmala and her team.​

Gregg Barker: Solving tech troubles to connect DePaul

Gregg Barker: Solving tech troubles to connect DePaul

​If you've ever requested help setting up Skype, initiating a video conference in your office, or addressing any kind of technical or AV trouble in either the Lincoln Park or the Loop campus, then you probably know Gregg Barker. As an AV engineer/architect for Information Services, Barker has spent the last 19 years at DePaul solving technical problems and helping people connect with one another.​