Housing and Residence Life offers a number of opportunities for residents and faculty to interact in the residence halls in meaningful ways. By bringing faculty and residents together, residents are empowered to form academic support systems, engage more deeply in their studies, and form lasting relationships with their community. Tulane offers the following faculty driven programs:

Faculty In Residence

The Faculty in Residence (FIR) is a full-time faculty member who lives in a residence hall on campus and serves as a positive and visible leader, teacher, and mentor to students living in the residence halls. FIRs facilitate, promote, and encourage intellectual, social, and cultural development, as well as provide assistance to students seeking academic support and guidance through programming, one on one relationship building, and the sharing of academic resources. FIRs work with our Housing and Residence Life staff to provide supportive environments where students can learn and develop.

Dr. Courtney Baker (Faculty-In-Residence, Greenbaum Hall): Dr. Courtney Baker moved to New Orleans in 2012 to join the faculty at Tulane after spending time in Philadelphia, Upstate New York, and Western Massachusetts. She is a clinical psychologist, and, as an undergraduate, she majored in Psychology and English at Oberlin College. Dr. Baker’s research focuses on child mental health and, in particular, on how teachers and schools can support the well-being of children who live in poverty. As Faculty in Residence, Dr. Baker is excited to support students as they navigate their academic curriculum, make choices for their future careers, and leverage their university learning to solve real-world problems. She enjoys traveling, scuba diving, reading, trying new things, cooking, baking, and doing yoga. Dr. Baker is joined in Greenbaum by her family, including Dr. Mike Hoerger, faculty in the Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry, and Medicine, and their son Henry.

Dr. Jananarthanan (Janan) Jayawickramarajah (Faculty in Residence, Weatherhead Residence Hall): Dr. Jayawickramarajah was born in Sri Lanka, but spent much of his childhood abroad and moved to the United States for his undergraduate education. He joined the faculty at Tulane in 2007. His research work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health and broadly encompasses biological and materials aspects of supramolecular chemistry. Dr. Jayawickramarajah views the role of a faculty member as not only conducting transformative research and education but also as a facilitator who supports the growth of students into civic-minded and community-engaged leaders. Whenever the opportunity arises, he loves to travel with his family and to explore new countries, cultures, and cuisines. Dr. Jayawickramarajah will be joined in Weatherhead by his wife, Dr. Mehnaaz Ali, an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Xavier University, and their three children.

Dr. Izabela Stefjla (Faculty-In-Residence, Wall Hall): Dr. Izabela Steflja is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Political Science. Her teaching and research interests lie at the intersection of international criminal law, international development, and comparative politics of the developing world. Most recently, she coauthored a book entitled Women as War Criminals: Gender, Agency and Justice. As Faculty in Residence (FIR), Dr. Steflja hopes to not only support intellectual curiosity in students but also to inspire them to be active and reflective global citizens committed to equity and inclusion. The Wall FIR family is immigrant and multilingual. Dr. Steflja spent her childhood in the former Yugoslavia, completed her secondary and postsecondary education in Canada, and conducted extensive fieldwork in East and Central Africa. Her partner, Boris Martín, is a historian from Cuba, and their baby, Anton Xavier, is a native New Orleanian.  

Residential Faculty Mentors

Residential Faculty Mentors (RFM) are professors at Tulane who are partnered with first-year residence halls. The purpose of the RFM program is to foster an intellectual community within the residence halls, to encourage students to cross the boundaries between academic and student spaces, and to increase faculty-student engagement. By bringing faculty into the residence halls, we are offering co-curricular experiences for students that facilitate learning and holistic student growth through faculty lobby hours, community programming, and one-on-one relationship building.

Butler RFMs:

• Dr. Mollye Demosthenidy (Clinical Associate Professor, Global Health Management and Policy)
• Dr. Katie Russell (Professor of Practice, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) - Favorite course to teach: Unit Operations Laboratory. Advice for first-year students: Don’t be afraid to reach out to your professors. Favorite thing about New Orleans: Food and festivals.

Josephine Louise RFMs:

• Dr. Anna Mahoney (Administrative Assistant Professor, Newcomb College Institute) - Favorite course to teach: Women’s Legislative Leadership. Advice for first-year students: Be yourself - it is the best way to find your people. Favorite thing about New Orleans: Food.
• Dr. Chloe Raub (Head of Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Library Special Collections, Newcomb College Institute) - Favorite course to teach: I don't teach my own courses but I love working with professors to bring special collections and archives into the classroom. Advice for first-year students: Make time for the many wonderful speakers Tulane brings to campus, these are often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Favorite thing about New Orleans: Year-round gardening!

Monroe RFMs:

• Dr. Katie Black (Professor of Practice, Neuroscience) - Favorite course to teach: Brain and Behavior. Advice for first-year students: Go to office hours and get to know your professors, They are here to help and will be great resources to you. Favorite thing about New Orleans: There are always flowers in bloom.
• Dr. Sam Brandao (Clinical Instructor, Civil Rights and Federal Practice Clinic, Tulane Law School) - Favorite course to teach: I love teaching in the clinic because I get to work with both clients and students. Advice for first-year students: Push through any awkwardness you might feel and seize your changes to connect with faculty, with each other, and with everytone in our community. Favorite thing about New Orleans: The city is a great way to expose myself and my kids to a broad and rich spectrum o human experience. Also muffulettas.
• Dr. Holly Flora (Associate Professor, Newcomb Art Department) - Favorite course to teach: Medieval Manuscripts. Advice for first-year students: Stay true to who you are. Favorite thing about New Orleans: There is truly no other city with New Orleans’ cultural riches. Plus, food.
• Dr. Amy George (Senior Professor of Practice, Spanish and Portuguese and Linguistics) - Favorite course to teach: Translation Studies Theory and History. Advice for first-year students: If you’re having a hard time with something, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Favorite thing about New Orleans: The people! The food! The community!

Sharp RFMs:

• Dr. Jimmy Huck (Administrative Associate Professor, Latin American Studies) - Favorite course to teach: Liberatory Education and Ethical Service. Advice for first-year students: Daily attendance in class if worth a letter grade. Be there! Favorite thing about New Orleans: Crawfish boils, po-boys, and Commander’s Palace bread pudding soufflé. 
• Dr. Brooke Grant (Professor of Practice, Teacher Preparation and Certification Program)
• Dr. Ryan McBride (Administrative Associate Professor, English and Center for Public Service) - Favorite course to teach: Aristotle in New Orleans (a section of persuasive writing ENLS 3650). Advice for first-year students: Buy a used bike and explore the city. Favorite thing about New Orleans: The friendly openness of the people here is good for your soul.
• Dr. Brittany Powell Kennedy (Senior Professor of Practice, Spanish and Portuguese) - Favorite course to teach: Colloquium on Modernism. Advice for first-year students: Don’t let preconceived notions of “college life” determine your college experience. Be open to things you may not think you like and that challenge you. Favorite thing about New Orleans: The sense of community you feel even as you walk down the street. Everyone says hello, and there are times when you feel like we’re all in this NOLA thing together.