10 questions with Dean Sue

<p>Dean Sue Wasiolek serves as the faculty-in-residence for Gilbert-Addoms dormitory.&nbsp;</p>

Dean Sue Wasiolek serves as the faculty-in-residence for Gilbert-Addoms dormitory. 

Sue Wasiolek, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, has an extensive history at Duke, attending as an undergraduate and later returning as an administrator. The Chronicle talked with Wasiolek—more commonly known as "Dean Sue"—about some of her favorites. 

What’s your favorite place to eat on Ninth Street?

Juju, especially the brussel sprouts.

If you were a student right now, what club would you join?

I would join the running club.

What's your favorite book?

The one that always comes to mind for me is To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s been a favorite of mine since I first read it. I think it was reinforced as my favorite by the movie. I thought the movie and the book paralleled each other very well, and I was always a Gregory Peck fan. I just think it’s a powerful, powerful story that is still relevant today.

What's the best season at Duke and why?

I would say the best season is the fall. It’s the beginning of the school year, it’s a new class and it’s a fresh start. It’s just the semester of anticipation. It also involves football, and I love Duke football.

What's the best trip you’ve ever taken?

Every trip that I take to the Duke Marine Lab is the best. I just think that Beaufort and the Marine Lab is such a special place. The best domestic trip that I’ve ever taken is to the Track and Field Olympics Trials. I’ve done that twice with my running group. My best international trip is a toss-up between Peru and Iceland.

What's your favorite smell?

Probably eucalyptus.

What's the biggest change you’ve seen since you’ve been at Duke?

The diversity of the student body and my wrinkles and gray hair.

What’s your strangest story from your time as a faculty-in-residence?

I don't really have a strange story but when I first arrived, the students were convinced that I was there to enforce the rules, to get [Gilbert-Addoms] to shape up. When I told them that was not the case, they said to me, we’re not going to give you any problems. I replied by saying that I feel kind of badly. I hope I’m not going to cramp your style. And they said no, we’ll just go up to the second and third floors.

Which social media platforms do you use?

I’m on Facebook, and I have a Twitter account that I don't really don't use. I have an Instagram account that I used when I was in Iceland. But I’m more of a Facebook person.

What’s your favorite thing about Duke?

The energy of Duke students has sustained me for over four decades. Also the unlimited opportunities to learn and to grow.

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