People

House Professor

Melanie Benson Taylor

Professor of English & Creative Writing | Professor of Native American Studies

(she/her/hers)

Hometown: Bourne (Cape Cod), MA

Education: B.A. in English (Smith College); M.A. and Ph.D. in English (Boston University)

Areas of Research Specialty: Modern and Contemporary U.S. Southern Literature | Indigenous Literatures | Economics and Representations of Identity

Hobbies/Interests: When I’m not spending time with my family - husband Alan Taylor, who teaches first-year Writing at Dartmouth, and sons Abel (11), Hayden (8), and Amos (2) - I enjoy reading and writing; cooking and baking; running and being active; meditation and mindfulness; being artsy and creating things.

What drives my work in Residential Education?: I was a first-generation college student who didn’t naturally know how to navigate higher education and thrived on the small community atmosphere fostered by the residential environment at Smith College. I feel privileged to help create these opportunities here in North Park House, and to work together with an amazing team of dedicated students and professionals to serve in ways not typically available to faculty in the traditional classroom setting.

Assistant Director

Anna Masters

Assistant Director of Residential Education

Hometown: Keene, NH

Education: B.A. in Sociology (Colby Sawyer College); Master of Arts in Sociology and Gender & Women’s Studies (Lancaster University)

Areas of Specialty: Conflict mediation; Diversity & Inclusion practices; Event management

Hobbies/Interests: When I'm not at work or aimlessly driving around listening to music, I love watching movies and tv (come pop by the Occom Office and talk about what you're watching). I'm very good at starting a bunch of different knitting and sewing projects, and want to successfully keep a sourdough starter alive for the whole year... 

What drives my work in Residential Education?: I feel it is critical to one's success in college that they feel safe and secure where they live. I want to help my residents feel comfortable where they live, while also building house community! I made some of my best friends in the hall I lived in during my first year of undergrad, and I value those connections still to this day!

Program Administrator