Students

  Mary Oakes
Director of Residential Operations 
Mary earned her Masters Degree in College Student Personnel from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She has served the Residence Life Department here at Columbia for 10 years, but has worked in Residence Life for a total of 20 years professionally and on a student staff level. She enjoys supporting and challenging students while they live on campus and experience their transition into College life.

  Kelli Collins
Director of Residence Education
Kelli earned a M.S.Ed. with a concentration in community counseling from Eastern Illinois University. She has served in Columbia’s Residence Life Department for nearly 20 years, but has worked in Higher Education for approximately 27 years professionally. Kelli's professional philosophy is that there is a great deal of learning that can take place outside of the classroom, and that is what she likes to promote with the students that she interacts with on a daily basis. She strives to provide an experience that will help the students that she comes into contact with leaving the interaction better than they were previous to interacting with her.  It is refreshing to know immediately, or years later that something you did or said helped to improve the life of the student that you worked with.  There are so many challenges that can become blockades for students as they are progressing through college and beyond, it is Kelli’s life work to help to ease some of those challenges.

Christie Lewis
Assistant Director of Training & Community Relations
Christie has a Masters of Science in College Student Personnel Administration from Illinois State University. She joined the Residence Life team at Columbia College Chicago in January 2016 and has been in Residence Life for 8years. Prior to coming to Columbia she worked at Illinois Wesleyan University and Saint Xavier University. Christie enjoys supporting student development while challenging them to reach their highest potential. 

Quote: Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about" - Winston Churchill 

Fun Fact: I have a twin brother and am a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, INC 

  Adam Kubiak
Assistant Director of Community Standards & Programs
Adam joined Residence Life at Columbia College in January 2017. Prior to coming to Columbia, Adam worked as a Residence Life Coordinator at Elmhurst College in the west suburbs of Chicago. He received his Master of Higher Education Student Affairs Leadership from Western Michigan University. Having received his undergraduate degree in Art History and sharing a love for the creative arts, Adam is very excited to be working with such creative, talented, and diverse students at Columbia.

  Shannon Parker
Administrative Assistant
Shannon earned her Master of Management, Higher Education Administration Specialization from Robert Morris University. She has over 6 years of higher education and joined the Residence life staff In 2013. Now at Columbia College , Shannon has taken well to her role and enjoys working with the staff and participating in different RA and coordinator events.

  Na'imah Muhammad
Coordinator of Assignments & Operations
Na'imah graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater with a B.A in Media Arts & Game Development in December 2016. She joined Residence Life in February 2017 and really enjoys working with the students. She takes pride in keping the Residence Life website up to date and answering all email inquiries.