Meet Our Team

Residence Life Professional Staff

Dr. Mary F. Elliott

Director of Residence Life and Housing
pronouns: She/Her/Hers

mfelliot@mines.edu
(303) 869-5522
Campus Living Office
Oversees all functions of the Residence Life Department

About Mary.

My undergrad was spent at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa (next to Mines, the G.O.A.T.) where I majored in Secondary Education and History. My Masters degree, in Student Development and Higher Education Administration, is from the University of Iowa. I just completed my doctoral work in the summer of 2021. My research is on Autistic students and their experiences in the residence halls.

I have been at Mines since 2014, and I love working with the students and staff here. Mines people are special, there is just no other way to put it. I live north of Golden with my husband, our two dogs (Decker and Greta), and our cat, Kitty. I am a 5th generation Coloradan, and I love my state!

Logan Thurnauer

Associate Director of Residence Life
Facilities & Operations
he, him, his
(303) 273-3982
Campus Living Office
Oversees all aspects of Residence Life assets, building projects, and yearly procedures.

About Logan.
B.A., English Literature and Philosophy, Saint Michael’s CollegeM.S.Ed., Higher Education, University of Pennsylvania
 
A native New Englander, over the past fifteen years I’ve worked in residence life and graduate student services, gradually developing my passion for service and creating processes that are user friendly and easy to access. I’ve made stops as a hall director at Salve Regina University and Lewis & Clark College, as well as worked with graduate students at New York University, Abu Dhabi and the University of Pennsylvania. Most recently, I worked just up the street managing residential operations at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In my life outside of work I enjoy travel, cooking, reading, gardening, and beekeeping in his free time.

Dr. Sarah Friswold-Atwood

Associate Director of Residence Life
Residential Education

friswoldatwood@mines.edu
(303) 869-5529
Campus Living Office
Oversees Residence Life Coordinators and their student staffs, all programming initiatives, and Theme Learning Community development.

About Friz.

Devon Hopson

Assistant Director of Residence Life
pronouns: He/Him/His

dhopson@mines.edu
(303) 869-5339
Campus Living Office
Oversees Residence Life Coordinators and their student staffs, all programming initiatives, and Theme Learning Community development.

About Devon.

B.S., Marketing, Southern New Hampshire University
M.S., Student Affairs in Higher Education, Miami University

Hello! My name is Devon (he/him/his) and I am an Assistant Director in Residence Life. I am a passionate Anti-Deficit educator in student affairs. I believe that by striving to be an advocate, coach, and mentor to students I can assist them on their journeys to success at the Colorado School of Mines and beyond. It is important to me to support students as they define what success uniquely looks like for them during their time in college.

In my free time, I spend a lot of time with my dog, Daisy. You will see my goober of a dog around campus! I enjoy playing video games and playing tabletop games with friends! If you need an interesting trivia fact or ghost story, I got you covered!

Vacant

Assistant Director of Residence Life
pronouns:

(303) 869-5519
Campus Living Office
Oversees Residence Life Coordinators and their student staffs, all programming initiatives, and Theme Learning Community development.

Jackie Garramone

Assistant Director of Occupancy Management
jgarramo@mines.edu
(303) 273-3928
1795 Elm Street
Oversees housing assignments for the Residence Halls, Mines Park Apartments and Greek Housing.

About Jackie.

Kelsey Ruby

(formerly Anders)

Housing Operations and Marketing Coordinator
pronouns: she, her, hers
kelsey.ruby@mines.edu
(303) 869-5528
Campus Living Office
Oversees department website and social media; coordinates housing assignments and various processes for housing operations.

About Kels.

B.A., English, University of North Florida
M.A., Higher Education, University of Denver

Hi y’all! I’m Kels, and I come to Mines from my hometown of Ft. Myers, Florida. Mines is such a unique campus, with a strong sense of community and care among its students and staff, and I love learning alongside such ambitious students! I always look forward to seeing how much students grow between the day they move in and the day they move out! When I’m not at work, you can find me with my husband and our dogs, Rocko and Bucket, or coaching high school volleyball!

Debi Pretz

Administrative Coordinator of Campus Living Office
pronouns: She/Her/Hers
dpretz@mines.edu
(303) 384-2576
Campus Living Office
Oversees administrative processes for the Campus Living Office.

About Debi.

My name is Debi Pretz, and I have been working at Mines in Residence Life since January 2006. Changes at Mines over the years makes me excited for the next class of students, as they, too, change with each incoming class. The joy of getting to know our students and what they bring to and expect from Mines is uplifting and “new.” Some end up working in our department for years – only to leave and continue to share with us their memories and how living and working with us is carried over into their fields of expertise and their lives post-Mines. This NEVER gets old, which is why I truly love – and stay in – Residence Life. Staff, faculty, colleagues, student staff: the absolute best and each day is busy, but joyous and truly rewarding!

Amy Hoppes

Administrative Coordinator of Residence Life
ahoppes@mines.edu
(303) 273-3181
Campus Living Office
Oversees administrative processes for Residence Life within the Campus Living Office.

About Amy.

Greg Foster

Residence Life Coordinator for Mines Park Apartments
pronouns: He/Him/His

foster@mines.edu
(303) 273-3922
2001 Infinity Circle
Supervises student staff and oversees programming. Serves on an on-call rotation for emergency response.

About Greg.

Justin Diaz

Residence Life Coordinator for Randall, Morgan, Thomas, and Bradford Halls (The Traditional Halls)
pronouns: he, him, his

(303) 273-3995
1222 West Campus Road
Supervises student staff and oversees programming. Serves on an on-call rotation for emergency response. 

About Justin.
B.A Psychology, Colorado Christian University
M.A Higher Education, University of Denver
 
Hello! My name is Justin Diaz and I am the RLC of the Traditional Halls! I was born and raised in Houston, Texas before my family decided to move out to Colorado Springs, Colorado. After receiving my undergraduate degree in psychology, I originally was looking to pursue a master’s degree in counseling and become a licensed counselor. I eventually pivoted and found myself working in higher education. I love getting to work with students and know them personally and support them in whatever way I can. My areas of interest include student mental health and integrating my background in psychology with my work in student affairs, especially as many students are facing transitions to a new environment.
 
I love being able to live in Colorado and enjoy the beautiful weather. In my free time I love to be outside playing sports, as well as playing board games and hanging out with my dog, Brewer.

Alex Prusator

Residence Life Coordinator for Spruce Hall
pronouns: she/her/hers
aprusator@mines.edu
(303) 273-3276
Spruce Hall 153
Supervises student staff and oversees programming. Serves on an on-call rotation for emergency response. 

About Alex.
B.A., English Literature, Davidson College
M.Ed., Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education, UNC Greensboro
 
Hey, pals! I’m proud Chicagoan/Davidson College alumna/Rochelle, IL native who’s thrilled to add Coloradan and Spruce Hall RLC to my identities. After 3 years of customer experience work at an education tech company, I discovered a passion for student advocacy and decided to pursue a career in student affairs. My top professional interests include college student mental health and support for neurodivergent and disabled students. When I’m not at work, you can find me boxing, hiking, exploring local coffee shops, despairing over Cleveland Guardians baseball, or giving pets and belly rubs to my pup, Turtle (who would 100% love to meet you!).

Tafadzwa “Taffy” Negonde

Residence Life Coordinator for Elm Hall and Weaver Towers
pronouns: he, him, his
Supervises student staff and oversees programming. Serves on an on-call rotation for emergency response. 

About Taffy.

B.A. Economics, St. Lawrence University
M.S. College Student Personnel, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Hello! My name is Taffy Negonde, and I am the Residence Life Coordinator of Weaver Towers and Elm Hall. I was born and raised in Zimbabwe, and I first came to the United States for my undergraduate studies. I studied Economics at St. Lawrence University, a small liberal arts school in Upstate New York, with an initial intention to pursue investment banking. However, my volunteer work in college access and my passion for student mentorship activities led me to a career in education. My education career has previously led me to English teaching in China and teaching in Zimbabwe also. These were all unforgettable experiences. Inspired to continue my career in education, I pursued a Masters in College Personnel at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Go Vols! My assistantship in residence life during my graduate school reinforced my love to work in student housing.

I am so excited to be at Mines and to join the Residence Life team. I look forward to bringing my passion for mentorship to the highly motivated students at Mines and being an influential support system in all my residence hall communities. I am a people person and I also look forward to building impactful and lifelong relations with Mines students and the community in Golden.

In my free time, I love spending time with my family, meeting new friends, mentorship activities, watching sports, playing soccer, reading, and writing. Yes, I love writing so much, and if you want a postcard, let me know. I am happy to be an Oredigger and I am grateful to be here!

Zach King

Residence Life Coordinator for 1750 Jackson Street
pronouns: He/Him/His

Supervises student staff and oversees programming. Serves on an on-call rotation for emergency response. 

About Zach.

B.S., Psychological Sciences, Purdue University – West Lafayette
M.S., College Student Affairs, Eastern Illinois University

Hello! My name is Zach and I come from the Midwest, specifically Northwest Indiana (The Region/Chicagoland). I completed my Bachelor’s in Psychological Sciences at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN and completed my Master’s degree in College Student Affairs at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL.

As a person who formerly attended an institution known for STEM, I love the passion Orediggers have for their academics and careers.  I’m down to talk coding with anyone since I originally wanted to be a Software Engineer myself! My hobbies/interests include: gaming (video and board), enjoying Marvel, Star Wars, and other nerdy/geeky things, hiking, Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, and finally learning how to cook.

Vacant

Residence Life Coordinator for Maple Hall
pronouns:

(303)-869-5315
Maple Hall 101A
Supervises student staff and oversees programming. Serves on an on-call rotation for emergency response. 

Roles of Residence Life Staff

Residence Life Coordinators
Residence Life Coordinators are Master’s degree holding individuals who are directly responsible for managing multiple residential buildings, designing and implementing programs within halls, and overseeing the maintenance, housekeeping, safety and disciplinary standards within their residential communities.

Community Directors
Community Directors are paraprofessional staff members that live and work in the Residence Halls or Apartment Communities while attending school full time. They are responsible for the day-to-day operations of their assigned hall or community, including providing support services directly to students, supervising Resident Advisors (RAs), and overseeing all educational, social, and operational activities.

Resident Advisors
Resident Advisors (RAs) are full-time students who live in the Residence Halls or Apartment Communities and are responsible for a particular floor/building of residents. They provide support, act as a resource for students, coordinate social and educational programs, and work with one another as a group to enforce community rules and university policies within the halls.