Upper Bay State Road

Paul Hughes

Assistant Director of Residence Life for Upper Bay State Road
p. 617-358-3100
hughesp@bu.edu

I have been a member of the Residence Life team at BU since 2005. My service has included time at Myles Standish Hall (pre-renovation), Warren Towers, and currently in the Upper Bay State Road neighborhood. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of graduate and undergraduates, traveled on more than a dozen ASB trips, worked/lived on campus through a global pandemic, and celebrated with students at every commencement ceremony since 2006. I hope you enjoy your BU journey as much as I’m enjoying mine.

Paul also oversees the BU spaces in the Hotel Hyatt Cambridge, 575 Memorial Drive

Beza Begosew

Area Director, Bay State Road Residences
p. 617-353-3872
btb@bu.edu
I was born in Ethiopia and immigrated to the United States with my family at a young age. I grew up in and around Stone Mountain, GA and attended Chamblee Charter High School where I was in the Magnet program. After high school, I came to Boston University as part of Posse 5 (AKA the OG best Posse) where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology. After my undergraduate experiences, I spent 2 years in medical school, before making a pivot in my career goals. Despite throwing away all my winter gear and vowing to never live near snow again when I graduated from BU, my heart and the universe have led me back to Commonwealth Ave. I served as a program coordinator for the Health Science program at Sargent College and the experiences I had working with students led me to pursue a work in student affairs and residence life. When I’m not in the Residence Life office, I spend my time hanging out with my partner and our fur-child, Miki, mentoring the amazing Posse 14, refurbishing furniture, coloring and crocheting. I am happy meeting and supporting students throughout their time at BU, so don’t hesitate to reach out or stop by the Towers’ office to say hi!

Beza oversees the following buildings:(167-169, 171, 173, 175, 176-178-Classics, 177, 179-Education, 180, 181, 182, 184-186, 188-190, 191-Harriet E. Richards Cooperative, 193- Fisk House, 192, 194, 195-197, 196, 198, 199, 200-202-Trustee Scholars, 201, 203, 204, 205-Sargent College, 206, 207-Music, 208, 209, 210-212, 214) Bay State Rd.

Laura Damon

Residence Hall Director, The Towers
p. 617-353-3872
damonlm@bu.edu

I’m a born & raised Michigander from the city of Grand Rapids, with a deep love of summer days spent at Lake Michigan. I studied International Development, and African Studies at Michigan State University, where I also worked as a Resident Assistant for 2 years. After graduation, I worked 4 years as a caseworker in immigrant and refugee resettlement services, primarily supporting Congolese refugees. From 2017-2019, my partner and I lived overseas – trekking, volunteering, and backpacking across 20 countries – spending the majority of our time in New Zealand, Kenya, and Nepal. While volunteering with an educational nonprofit in Kathmandu, I recognized my passion in assisting students in their educational pursuits and personal growth through higher education. I then returned to the U.S. and worked as a Student Success Specialist at Calvin University (in Michigan) for 3 years, where I focused on supporting first-year students and international students. In that role, I also acted as an academic counselor and instructed courses on academic skills and strategies for success in college. I recently obtained an MBA Certificate in Nonprofit Management, and also serve on the Board of Directors of ANSWER-Nepal, the same organization I volunteered with in Kathmandu.

I joined the BU community here in August 2022 and love exploring my new city and meeting with the wonderful student population here. When I’m not in the Towers office, I am likely with my husband (a current BU grad student), watching (and re-watching) my favorite sitcoms, reading, hiking, or listening to Florence and the Machine.

My doors are open to you – Please come say hi to me in the Res Life office at Towers!

Laura oversees the following building: (140- The Towers) Bay State Rd.

Harry Pershing

Area Director, 575 Commonwealth Avenue Residences
p. 617-358-3100
hpershin@bu.edu

Hello! My name is Harry Pershing. I’m the Area Director of 575 Commonwealth Avenue (better known as HoJo) as well as a number of the brownstones along Bay State Road and Comm Ave.

I’ve been circling Boston my entire life and I’m proud to finally call it my home. Growing up in Maine, Boston was always the Big City where everything exciting happened. That was even more the case after moving to Providence, where I learned to appreciate the MBTA’s $10 commuter rail weekend pass. I got my first taste of Residence Life work as an RA at Brown University, where looking after freshmen kept me (mostly) sane throughout all four years of my BA in Music. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, my graduation kept getting delayed… until a week after I got my master’s degree from the New England Conservatory, go figure. But I’m extremely grated for that belated graduation ceremony, because it meant I got to reunite with my fellow RAs and former residents two years later. Hearing how my final cohort of residents had grown and taken Brown by storm was what inspired me to pursue a career in Residence Life and eventually led me to BU in the fall of 2022.

When I’m not in HoJo, you can find me walking along the Charles or feeding almonds to my turkey friends across Chestnut Hill. My door is open to anyone who wants to talk about plants, pets, or science fiction.

Harry oversees the following buildings: (575, 625, 627-629) Commonwealth Ave. (153, 157-Limited Parietal, 158-160-Common Ground, 159, 161-Management, 162-164, 163-WISE-UP, 165, Lavender House, 166-168-College of General Studies, 172) Bay State Rd.