KU Student Housing selects Aramis Watson as associate director for residence life

LAWRENCE — Aramis Watson has been selected as University of Kansas Student Housing’s associate director for residence life. She began her new position April 25. Watson earned her bachelor’s degree from KU and master’s degree from Arizona State University. Her professional background includes serving as assistant director at The Ohio State University and the University of Utah. She also served as a hall director at Western Illinois University.

“We are so pleased to welcome Aramis home,” said Diana Robertson, director of KU Student Housing. “Although Aramis honed her craft in professional positions at universities nationwide, she got her start in student housing at KU where she lived for four years, served as a resident assistant, and was president of AURH, the Association of University Residence Halls.”

At KU, Watson will be responsible for the residence life program that serves nearly 5,000 residents who live in KU’s nine residence halls, 12 scholarship halls and two apartment complexes. She will oversee the residential curriculum, which focuses on outcomes that support KU’s undergraduate learning goals, and collaborative initiatives with learning communities, undergraduate advising and other campus partners. Watson also will oversee crisis response, student conduct, and staff recruitment and training.

“Aramis brings significant expertise to KU,” Robertson said, “including work that involves serving on a task force for sexual health and wellness, a treatment team for drug and alcohol recovery, leading a group that explores engagement in residence halls for international students and serving as lead instructor for classes offered by the multicultural center at Ohio State.” Watson also taught at her previous institutions and for the Association of College & University Housing Officers International. 

While at KU, Watson served as site coordinator for Leadershape and served on planning committees for Hawk Week and the Homecoming parade. She was honored by KU on several occasions, including being named the Outstanding Woman in Student Leadership from the Commission on the Status of Women, the Rusty K. Leffel Concerned Student Chancellor’s Award and the GSP/Corbin Outstanding Woman of the Year. Watson replaces Jennifer Wamelink, who was promoted to serve as KU’s associate vice provost for student affairs.