Cabot Selects New Resident Dean

After running through two resident deans in just two years, Cabot House has appointed writing tutor Jill Constantino to fill the post next year, House Master Jay M. Harris announced on Monday.

Constantino—a Cabot dining hall fixture known for her approachable nature and commitment to undergraduate education—will replace Mya M. Mangawang, who served as resident dean for only a year before abruptly announcing her resignation in May.

“I hope to spread a little of what makes me happy,” Constantino wrote in an e-mailed statement yesterday. “I look forward to becoming more involved in the community here. I hope I can help students reach for their intellectual potential, navigate the complex social scene, and deal with any challenges they might encounter.”

In the selection process for a new resident dean, undergraduate residents of Cabot were consulted to narrow down the field of applicants. Though the two final candidates were “extremely qualified,” Constantino’s personality ultimately “shone” and tipped the scale in her favor, according to Melissa Hoyos ’10, who served on the selection committee.

“I think the resident dean really needs to reach out to each and every student. I think Jill really has a fantastic ability to do that,” said Thomas J. Barnet-Lamb, a Cabot resident tutor. “She seems to put everyone at ease and really connects with many different people.”

The position of Cabot writing tutor—which Constantino held for the past two years—has allowed her to interact with students at a level of intimacy indicative of a direct investment in student welfare, according to Hoyos. A vibrant presence who forged personal connections with students during late night office hours in the dining hall, Constantino “went above and beyond the call of duty,” said resident tutor David Johnston.

“I presume that she’ll bring that same energy to the position [of Resident Dean],” he added. “She’s a very active presence in the House.”

Her already entrenched roots in the House may promise stability for a position that has been characterized in recent years by a series of turnovers.

“I think the appointment was made with the hope that she’ll mesh with the Cabot community and stay around for a long time,” Johnston said.

Constantino—as well as her two children, fellow dining hall regulars—has already attained high visibility in Cabot even before assuming her new post, according to Hoyos.

Such ties to House culture suggest that Constantino will be a strong advocate for students before the Administrative Board, the College’s primary disciplinary body and an area of responsibility for the position of resident dean, Hoyos added.

Though Hoyos said she personally had positive interactions with Mangawang, she acknowledged that others lodged criticism against the former resident dean for her less-than-enthusiastic support for students in Ad Board dealings.

Constantino assumed her post as a non-residential tutor in writing two years ago and moved into Cabot with her family last July.

The Ph.D. in anthropology will teach in the department next year, in addition to resuming her duties as a preceptor in expository writing.

“I love to be intellectually challenged and to figure out the way this world works,” Constantino said. “I strive to keep things balanced, not take myself too seriously, and to find joy in the steps toward my goals.”

—Staff writer Bita M. Assad can be reached at bassad@fas.harvard.edu.

—Staff writer Esther I. Yi can be reached at estheryi@fas.harvard.edu.