By Bryce Johnson •
Ryan Mangano, freshman real estate and property management major, first met Gerard Wheeler, assistant dean of Student Engagement, as his UNIV professor on Orientation Day.
“Knowing him has been great. He’s involved in everything, so I always see him on campus doing something,” Mangano said. “He’s always making sure that we all know what’s going on on campus and what big events are happening.”
Wheeler enjoys the opportunity to work with students and seeing them work on different projects.
“I actually really enjoy working with students. I love to see their creativity. I like to see what they’re working on. We have students here that are doctors and lawyers and all that kind of jazz,” Wheeler said. “I am so adamant about making sure that everybody has a great time in college because you can’t get it back. You can’t do this over, and so I really want to see students love the institution.”
Wheeler remembers when Jefferson Cristovao, coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Engagement, was a student at NSU and president of the Pi Phi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. Cristovao scheduled a meeting with Wheeler but never came. Wheeler saw Cristovao later outside the University Center and talked to him.
“He kept saying how he wasn’t involved, he didn’t do anything. He was a commuter. To see him get more and more involved, he became the UGC President, which is a council. He became Campus Life Student of the Year. He actually became a graduate
Gerard Wheeler is the assistant dean of Student Engagement.
assistant in our office, and now he actually works for the office,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler commends Cristovao’s progress from barely being involved to becoming an intricate part of Student Engagement.
Wheeler also remembers a student who worked for the office of Campus Life and Student Engagement. Her time at NSU was not easy, but the one thing she loved was working at Campus Life.
“She was depressed to the point where she didn’t want to get out of her bed. Coming to work really motivated her. She never told us any of these things. We just saw her at work and thought she did a good job and she was amazing,” said Wheeler, who learned about the situation later from a letter she wrote to NSU President George L. Hanbury II.
Seeing her motivation and appreciation inspires Wheeler to work with NSU’s student body.
Wheeler is involved with many events at NSU, either overseeing or in attendance. At Sharkapalooza in August, Mangano remembers watching Wheeler dance with his fraternity.
“They had their whole dance thing going on. And I saw him behind the DJ booth doing the dances, too. So that was probably the best memory I have of him. It was pretty funny,” Mangano said.
Wheeler oversees several offices at NSU, including the office of Campus Life and Student Engagement, the office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, the Fraternity and Sorority Life office and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Resource Center.
“I am the chair of PanSGA, and then I newly acquired Orientation and Commuter Engagement. So, I’m not bored,” Wheeler said, adding he is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated. “I do a lot of community service.”
Manas Peddiboyina, senior public health major, often works with Wheeler as president of the Undergraduate Student Government Association.
“His work ethic is literally unmatched in my eyes, and I just hope to one day be like that,” Peddiboyina said. “I think Gerard is somebody who will truly help you out to the maximum ability that he has. And the one thing about Gerard is he will always be honest with you, which is amazing.”
Wheeler has worked at NSU for five years. He first came to campus in 2018 to visit Justin Smith, who was director of Residential Life and Housing at the time. During his visit, Wheeler met Aarika Camp, former associate dean of Student Services.
“There was an actual opening for a director of Campus Life. And so Justin encouraged me to apply. At the time I was looking for something different. I worked at Savannah College of Art and Design, and so I was ready to leave res life, start something different, do something new,” Wheeler said. “And NSU took a chance on me.”
When Daniel Alfonso, vice president of Facilities and Public Safety, first started working at NSU, he took a tour to meet several people across campus, including Wheeler.
“He immediately struck me as an enthusiastic individual that I would like to get to know,” Alfonso said. “When I talk to him, I get a sense that he does have the core values of the university, of being student-centered, well established in his persona.”
Originally from Gastonia, North Carolina, Wheeler graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, which is a Historically Black College and University.
Wheeler is also a licensed counselor in Georgia. He became interested in counseling when he took a psychology class in high school.
“I enjoyed learning about how people thought and think, and then I figured people already tell me all their business, now I can get paid for people to tell me their business,” Wheeler said. “So I think it kind of mixes my love for helping people, listening to people and then also getting paid at the same time.”
Before NSU, Wheeler worked with people affected by HIV and AIDS, as well as people who were affected by homelessness.
“I used to go to different shelters and get them to get back in services, help them get on their feet, help them get housing. I love that aspect of it because it was just really helping people. You really don’t know, sometimes we are one decision away from being homeless,” Wheeler said. “So that was the biggest thing for me, it kind of humbled me.”
In the future, Wheeler’s personal goals include having his own reality television show.
For his professional goals, he hopes to become chancellor or vice president of Student Affairs, as well as own his own branding and logistics company.
“I would like to take companies and rebrand them, and actually get their name out, redevelop them and then logistically figure out how they work,” Wheeler said. “I’m really, really into how to brand yourself and make sure people know who you are.”
Wheeler said he is always available to speak with students, who can schedule a meeting with him.
“I want to make sure students have a great experience and that is the only thing that I’m concerned about. College for me was the best time of my life. It’s when you find out who you are. It’s where you find your friend groups,” Wheeler said. “It lays the foundation of who you want to be. I’m very serious that students have a great experience.”
To schedule a meeting with Wheeler, follow this link:
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