Professional Staff
The Residence Life and Health Education professional staff team is committed to fostering residential communities that support our students’ personal growth through critical thinking, and social and intellectual engagement beyond the classroom. Professional staff members support our student staff of Junior Advisors, Community Advisors, and Team Leaders in creating environments where students can thrive, whether in a large residential hall setting, or a small house setting. Our staff work to support students and their families around various aspect of life at Bates, including housing, wellbeing, residential community engagement, and the first-year experience.
Cole Taylor
Cole Taylor (he/him) serves as the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Community Standards. As a live-in staff member, he is responsible for supporting residential students and all functions of the Residence Life & Health Education Office. Cole joined Bates College in January of 2023. Prior to Bates, he spent 5 years in other residence life positions at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts as well as the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. Cole received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Communications from Lasell College (now known as Lasell University) in Newton, Massachusetts. He is from Standish, Maine and grew up spending most of his time on Sebago Lake. Cole is passionate about equity and inclusion within his roles in higher education and enjoys spending time with his wife, dog, family, and friends!
Danielle Miller
Danielle Miller (she/her) serves as the Assistant Director of Residential Operations. As a live-in Residence Life staff member, Danielle is responsible for all things housing. She oversees student housing operations including housing selection, first-year student assignment, and managing essential administrative functions related to the Residence Life program. Danielle is the primary point of contact for students and families about housing related issues. She also manages partnerships within and outside the college related to housing. Danielle received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Denver. After graduating she worked in Student Affairs and Residential Life at Bowdoin College and the University of New Hampshire. She also earned her Master’s in Education at the University of New Hampshire while working there. Danielle is passionate about inclusion, equity, and access within her work in student affairs and higher education.
Zach Brown-Cross
Zach Brown-Cross (he/him) serves as the Senior Coordinator of Residence Life. He is responsible for supporting student leaders within Residence Life and all functions of the Residence Life & Health Education Office. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Conservation from UMass Amherst, he has spent time working in the fields of zookeeping, outdoor education, and most recently outdoor recreation. He completed his Master’s in Kinesiology while working for Miami University’s Outdoor Pursuit Center and then spent a few years managing the indoor rock climbing program at Penn State University.
Meg Hoppe
Meg Hoppe (she/her) serves as a Coordinator of Residence Life. As a live-in staff member, she works in an after-hours capacity to help provide a safe and happy environment for students to live and learn. Meg graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine where she gained experience in Residence Life. Meg loves connecting with all students, faculty, and staff to help build a strong sense of community.
Marc Muro
Marc Muro (he/him) serves as a Coordinator for Residence Life. As a live-in staff member, Marc is responsible for supporting students throughout their college experience at Bates by helping provide a safe and welcoming environment at all times. As a first-generation college student, Marc earned his bachelor’s degree in Education and Hispanic Studies from Bowdoin College in 2022. At Bowdoin, Marc spent a lot of his time supporting students in THRIVE, which is a program that strives to support BIPOC students. Once graduating, Marc worked at a behavioral health facility in Tucson, AZ as an Employment Specialist to support members of the community, of all ages, struggling with mental health issues to find employment or pursue educational opportunities. Marc looks forward to connecting and working with students to find ways to best support them.
Fernando Rojas ’22
Fernando Rojas (he/him) is a 2022 graduate of Bates College, who now serves as a Coordinator of Residence Life. Fernando works within the Office of Residence Life to assist with departmental initiatives and projects, provide mentorship and support to students, and build strong residential communities. He is a member of the Residence Life duty rotation and often works with students after hours to provide support. As a first-generation college student, Fernando earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Spanish and a concentration in Digital and Computational Studies.
Andrew Shepard
Andrew Shepard (they/them) serves as a Coordinator of Residence Life and Confidential Resource Advisor (CRA). As a live-in staff member, they work to help foster a safe community and connect students to resources on and off-campus. In 2020, Andrew received a bachelor’s degree in public health from Hampshire College. After graduating, they worked in the anti-violence field supporting survivors through systems advocacy, case management, and prevention education. Andrew has a passion for working with students to identify what supports work best for them as they pursue their educational goals at Bates.
If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact any of us via email or by calling the Office of Residence Life and Health Education at (207) 786-6215.