Serving in her last year as faculty director for the Oaks Neighborhood, Julie Justice, assistant professor of education, received the Faculty Engagement Award during the Residence Life End-of-Year Banquet on May 2.
Faculty Directors in residential neighborhoods at Elon oversee the development of the intellectual growth and identity of the community.
Directors work to enhance the intellectual engagement of students, enrich the personal development of students through contact with members of the faculty, and work with the residence life staff and student leaders in a neighborhood to connect the academic, social and personal development of students through experiences, programs and events.
The Faculty Engagement Award honors a faculty member who has contributed to enhancing the residential campus initiative by engaging with students within the residential community. The Faculty Engagement Award is open to all faculty directors, faculty-in-residence, faculty/staff affiliates, Living Learning Community advisors or other faculty members who have been active in residential neighborhoods.
After presenting Justice with the award, Oaks Apartment Manager Alex Attanasio said, “Dr. Justice has been a visible and active presence in our neighborhood and community throughout the year. She has consistently gone above and beyond, attending our weekly staff meetings and nearly all of our neighborhood events throughout the year. She successfully makes connections with the residents in the neighborhood and has truly become a mentor to all of us in the Oaks student staff this year.”
To conclude the award presentation, Alyx Bean, Oaks apartment manager, had these warm remarks to share about Justice. “For the past two years, I have had the honor of collaborating with Julie in the Oaks neighborhood. She consistently contributes her time, energy, and talents to bringing excellence to the residential community. Julie has brought immense value to our monthly Neighborhood Dinner events, where she works closely with the Lead Student Mentor to facilitate meaningful interactions between students and staff. Through the careful development of purposeful themes and deep questions, Julie successfully promotes a residential learning environment. We are so thankful for her warm energy, optimism, and willingness to open her home and her family to our community.”