Two Maryville College alums fill director-level roles as new academic year begins
Sept. 9, 2024
The start of the 2024-25 academic year has brought hundreds of new faces to Maryville College, and welcomed back a few familiar ones who have assumed leadership positions as part of the staff at their alma mater.
Recent hires include two MC alumni who are returning to fill director roles on campus: Laura Reed ’24, Prevention Education director, and Danny Roselli ’14, associate dean of students and director of Residence Life, both of whom say they’re dedicated to upholding the College’s philosophies that have stuck with them since their time as students.
Laura Reed ’24
Reed received her bachelor’s degree in Art with a concentration in photography and completed minors in Design and Marketing. While at MC, she also served as an Admissions ambassador and president of the Student Veterans Association. In addition, Reed completed an associate’s degree in media and technology from Pellissippi State Community College in December 2023 and is currently pursuing a master’s in business administration from Auburn University.
Before coming to Maryville, Reed served in the U.S. Navy as a construction mechanic from November 2012 to January 2017. During her service, she took on the role of Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention Readiness (DoD SAPR) Victim Advocate, in which she provided support and advocacy to military and civilian victims of sexual assault.
Reed says this experience as DoD SAPR Victim Advocate prepared her well to become the College’s Prevention Education director, a position established at MC in 2019 with the creation of the Preventing Assault and Violence through Education (PAVE) program.
PAVE’s purpose on campus is to connect members of the MC community with support and services in the event of crises related to sexual assault, harassment or gender-based violence, as well as to provide education about healthy relationships and violence prevention.
Reed has a passion for this line of work that aligns well with the ideals of Maryville College.
“Being a survivor myself, I had to navigate a lot of the unknowns on my own, and my journey has been one of resilience, self-discovery, and empowerment. Through my healing process, I realized a profound desire to transform my experience into a force for good. Coming to MC where we talk about ‘doing good on the largest possible scale,’ it felt like a perfect fit,” Reed said.
Reed’s role as Prevention Education director involves connecting victims to resources for support, facilitating bystander training for students and staff, and providing education surrounding violence and sexual assault.
“I hope that I can help people recognize signs of abuse and give everyone a safe place to turn to for help — as a survivor, victim, or an outside observer,” Reed said. “PAVE is a place where all can feel safe and be heard.
“Prevention education is a mission to empower others with confidence and support to challenge the status quo and harmful norms that lead to violence happening, by supporting survivors and promoting a culture of accountability and care. It is about making a tangible difference by building awareness and encouraging positive and lasting change.”
Danny Roselli ’14
Roselli graduated in 2014 with a degree in Biology. He worked as a Resident Advisor for three years during his time as an MC student, and later became interested in pursuing a career in higher education administration. He went on to receive his master’s in professional counseling with an emphasis in college student affairs from the University of West Georgia in 2016.
Now joining the Maryville College staff as director of Residence Life, Roselli will oversee the department and act as a supervisor for the Residence Life staff, including resident directors and resident assistants.
Roselli brings with him several years of experience working in student life, including residence director positions at Belmont University and Northwestern University, director of student conduct at Hartwick College, and most recently a return to Belmont University as assistant director of Residence Life.
Roselli originally came to Maryville College as a student after being recruited for the baseball team, and says he quickly realized that this campus was a unique place.
“The people on this campus are truly special from the amazing faculty to the wonderful staff,” Roselli said. “I had never seen an institution truly walk the walk when it comes to being student-centered.”
Roselli says he chose to return as a staff member because he wants to give back to the place that gave so much to him. He believes that this line of work is a rewarding one, and that he has a responsibility to help both students and staff develop professionally.
“I truly believe that it is the role of myself and my office to prepare students and the professional staff members for whatever life goals they have in the future,” he said.
“I want to continuously review our policies and processes to ensure they align with the mission of scholarship, respect and integrity, and for the student body to see me as a resource to help make their time here one of a kind.”
Written by Julia Jeffress ’25