The Georgetown University Office of Residential Living hired a new executive director of residential education, a position leading residential assistants (RAs) and community directors (CDs), starting in Fall 2025.
Heidi Zeich, the executive director, comes to Georgetown following an extensive career working with residential living in higher education. Her role involves coordinating with RAs, CDs, faculties-in-residence and students to develop programs aimed at engaging students in university residential halls.
Zeich said she is most looking forward to building community on campus through the residential education program.
“This position excites me because of the opportunities it provides to create and shape the program as it continues to serve the students, families and community here at Georgetown,” Zeich wrote to The Hoya. “By the nature of the work we do within the residential communities, there is close daily collaboration with both Residential Services and with Student Conduct — I am fortunate that my varied experiences provide me with a unique perspective to appreciate the work of my colleagues and help me to build strong relationships between our areas.”
The university did not previously have an executive director of residential education; Zeich’s predecessor held the title of director, according to archives of university webpages.
Zeich will be responsible for managing faculty-in-residence programs and living and learning communities in addition to working with RAs and CDs. She will work alongside the Office of Residential Education’s residential services team, which handles backend operations, such as housing selection and roommate assignment.
Zeich said she hopes to ensure all Georgetown students can feel at home on campus.
“I lead a team that builds community across both the Hilltop and Capitol Campus, fostering a residential experience that reflects Georgetown’s commitment to inclusion, formation and cura personalis,” Zeich wrote. “I oversee the living and learning environments in 17 residence halls and communities, provide innovative approaches to the residential curriculum, foster holistic student development, support crisis management efforts and champion initiatives that promote belonging and mattering to ensure a seamless residential experience and help every Hoya feel at home on both the Hilltop and Capitol Campus.”
Zeich will also oversee three associate directors — for residential education broadly, for the Capitol Campus and for community standards — though the Capitol Campus position is currently vacant. The team also includes three assistant directors, who each manage a set of the Hilltop Campus’s residential halls.
Zeich previously worked for Syracuse University, the University of San Francisco, Loyola Marymount University and Catholic University. She also served as the associate dean of students at Catholic University.
Kristen Delancy (CAS ’26), an RA for Kennedy Hall, said the residential living team is already feeling the impact of the new director.
“I think the new director is definitely more active in meeting with us and being around us, and we can definitely feel her decisions and her changes,” Delancy told The Hoya. “In the past, the executive director hasn’t made many significant changes, so it hasn’t been something I have had to think about, but now I think a lot of RAs and CDs feel that impact more.”
Matt Long (CAS ’27), an RA for McCarthy Hall, said he thinks Zeich should focus on collaborating with RAs and CDs.
“I hope the new residential education director listens to feedback from her RAs and CDs and draws on their unique experiences with the Georgetown community to inform how she leads the department,” Long wrote to The Hoya.
Zeich said her college experiences inspired her to keep working with students on campus.
“I quickly got involved with Hall Council, the Residence Hall Association, worked as a Hall Security Assistant and served as an RA for two years,” Zeich wrote. “During those experiences, I found my passion for mentoring and educating college students.”