President, professor, and colleague
With a pile of papers and a calculus textbook in one hand, and an umbrella in the other, University President Mark C. Reed, Ed.D., walked past groups of students, waving hello on a rainy Tuesday morning. Climbing up the stairs of Merion Hall, he set foot on the first stop of his day: Fundamentals of Calculus.
Reed is the first lay president of Saint Joseph’s University and the 28th man to lead Hawk Hill. He began his term in the fall semester of 2015, coming from Fairfield University in Connecticut, set on a mission, similar to that of his predecessors, to improve Hawk Hill.
There is a great challenge however, between being visible to the student body and doing work for the student body, according to Reed.
As he walked in, he greeted students and passed back a test the class took the previous Thursday. A room of freshmen listened as he reviewed the test and offered to have appointments with students to answer any further questions.
“If you aren’t happy or aren’t where you want to be, come see me, we will find a time,” Reed said.
Over the next 75 minutes, Reed reviewed a number of logarithmic rules, calling on students at random, and working through a number of examples on the white board.
Educating students is a key aspect of Reed’s mission.
“Last year was the first year I didn’t teach in 15 years,” Reed said. “[Teaching] is a healthy reminder of why we are here.”
After class, we walked back to the Regis Annex, the current president’s office for the time being, as Regis Hall undergoes renovations. Reed and his team are only temporarily displaced to the annex, a horse stable in its previous life.
As I walked in, I was greeted with two warm smiles and light emanating from small, antique-looking lamps. The first face I saw was that of Isabel Ravelli, the communications assistant in the Office of the President. She greets visitors as they enter the office and plays a largely administrative role.
A few feet behind Ravelli sat Eileen Suplee, the executive assistant to the president. Suplee manages the president’s schedule, ensuring that his day is packed with as many events as possible.
Down the hallway from the entrance and the first two desks sit the offices of two other members of the president’s office: Sarah Quinn, assistant vice president, board liaison, and assistant corporate secretary, and Kelly Welsh, senior director of executive communication.
Quinn serves as the point of contact between the board members and Reed. Welsh helps coordinate communication across campus.
The four of them and Reed make up the Office of the President and deal with a plethora of different issues on a day-to-day basis.
At the end of the hallway sits Reed’s office, a temporary space that isn’t overly-decorated but clearly represents St. Joe’s. On one bookcase sits a signed basketball from the 2016 Atlantic 10 championship. Photos of the basketball team and of the papal visit also have a place on one of the walls.
As I sat in Reed’s office, I listened as he explained the plan for the rest of the day and how his meetings typically run. Next on the agenda was a meeting with Martin Farrell, vice president for Development and Alumni Relations, and Joseph Kender, vice president of University Relations, to discuss fundraising.
This meeting was followed by something Reed calls “office time” when he reads proposals, returns phone calls, and catches up on work.
After practice with the club tennis team was canceled, Reed decided to improvise with the opening in his schedule and headed to lunch in the Campion Student Center. On our walk over, we passed through the Francis A. Drexel Library, where Reed talked to students about their classes and the presidential debate from the night before.
We walked to lunch during free period, when Campion was was crowded with students. Reed found a seat with a few juniors. They discussed classes, as well as the challenge of working while still in school.
Reed went back to Regis Hall for more office time for a few hours.
Next on the agenda was a standing meeting with Don DiJulia, the vice president for Athletics and the Athletic Director.
The next few hours were filled with more office time, Welsh and Quinn discussing speeches and preparations for the upcoming board meeting respectively, and then Ravelli and Suplee making arrangements for the coming days.
As my day with Reed came to a close, we made our way to the final on-campus stop of the day, an event honoring the anniversary of the pope’s visit to St. Joe’s. Reed spoke about the magnitude of the occasion and then students signed a banner to send to Pope Francis.
Back at Regis, an Office of Public Safety vehicle was waiting to take Reed to his final stop of the night: A speaking engagement in Philadelphia.
Just like St. Joe’s students, Reed can be found running from place to place and from commitment to commitment, whether it be a rainy Tuesday in September or any other day of the year.
“Every day is somewhat unique and unpredictable,” Reed said.
