How well do you know your Elon colleagues? Do you know what their jobs entail? Learn more about their positions -- and their personalities -- by reading the E-people feature in each issue of @Elon.

David Blackman makes spending time with students a priority.

He gets to know them by name as he walks through the residence halls. He takes student workers to lunch to let them know they're important to Elon. He even has a "You Matter!" stamp, which he uses to recognize and thank others for their work.

In his role as assistant dean of students and director of residence life, Blackman emphasizes the importance of these types of genuine interactions with students. Aside from getting to know students on campus, he brings his family to Elon events. (He and his wife, Jackie, have two sons, three-year-old Jacob and one-year-old Joshua.) The college community culture is great for the kids, Blackman says, and the students get excited to see them. "It helps people see that we are real," he says.

Blackman is no stranger to residence life. He was a resident advisor for three years while attending Elmira College in upstate New York, where he earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education. He says he enjoyed this learning beyond the classroom, which led him to pursue a master's degree in higher education and student affairs at the University of Vermont.

After completing the graduate program, Blackman moved south to UNC Charlotte, where he lived on campus and worked as a residence coordinator for three years. He says this experience helped prepare him for Elon, where he started in June 1996 as director of residence life. He assumed his current role in June 2000, and his three areas of responsibility are Elon Experiences transcripts, service learning and residence life.

Although Blackman has seen many changes since he came to Elon, he enjoys the "let's get it done" attitude of the faculty and staff. He also likes being able to work directly with the faculty. Some colleagues at other institutions do not have that opportunity, he says, so he feels fortunate to have the experience here at Elon.

Blackman also enjoys working with student staff members and giving them the opportunity to test their leadership abilities. "They want to make a difference," he says. "We would not be able to survive without them!"

As residence life looks toward a new leadership model this fall that is designed to share responsibility in the residence halls, Blackman urges faculty and staff to call on residence life as needed. "I believe our mission is to support and enhance the academic experience at Elon," he says. "We strive to create a good environment."