Finding Similarities in Different Roles
The different 'hats' as a Graduate Hall Director and a doctoral student
by CHRIS ANDERSON
photos by JULIA MCBEE
"Whether you're in the lounge of a college
residential hall or the clinical room of a
hospital, the goal is the same: doing what it
takes and putting in the care and effort to
help improve the quality of life for those in
your community."
- Chris Anderson
Chris Anderson has learned how to
manage different 'hats.'
Throughout my student career at the University of
Florida, I have had the privilege of working in a number
of different fields with different people, wearing many
different ‘hats’. The two that have seen the most use
are from my work as a doctoral student and clinical
researcher in the Biomedical Engineering department,
and that as a Graduate Hall Director for the department
of Housing and Residence Life Education. On the surface,
the two roles could not be more different – one takes
place in a clinical office and the other in a residence hall.
"The use of CBD and similar marijuna-based
treatments continues to be a controversial
topic that is often found deeply rooted in
the media, politics, and medicine."
For my role as a Graduate Hall Director, I get the privilege
of working with an incredible staff of Resident Assistants
where our focus is to provide the students living in the
residence halls with a safe and welcoming environment
that will help them grow personally and academically.
Our students face many challenges like learning how to
cook, do laundry, how to be away from home, take on
more rigorous academics, or even making new friends.
With our leadership and willingness to help, my team and
I work to create opportunities where residents can learn
At the surface, talk about two different worlds to work
in! From students learning how to live with a roommate
and find their way to classes, to children who are having
hundreds of seizures a month and struggling to even
attend school. While the direct needs of the students
and my patients are very different, I have found over
the years that I end up wearing both ‘hats’ when serving
both roles. At the core of each you find very similar
interactions and needs.
treatment for children who have run out of options for
controlling their seizures and face many developmental
and cognitive deficits because of it.
"My team and I work to create
opportunities where residents
can learn how to overcome these
new challenges and continue to
develop."
how to overcome these new challenges and continue to
develop as students and as young adults. As a doctoral
student, I am fortunate enough to be a part of some really
unique and exciting research in which I study the use of
cannabidiol (also known as CBD, which is derived from
medical marijuana) for children who suffer from drugresistant epilepsy. The use of CBD and similar marijuanabased treatments continues to be a controversial topic
that is often found deeply rooted in the media, politics,
and medicine. Here we are examining its potential as a
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HRE ALUMNI MAGAZINE | UF STUDENT AFFAIRS
Chris is a Graduate Hall Director for Hume Hall.