Meet a Colleague: Chris Reid

Meet a Colleague: Chris Reid Chris Reid serves as assistant dean and director of housing and residence life.

W&L News Office
April 22, 2026

Q. How long have you worked at W&L?
I've been at W&L for seven years and change.

Q. What is the favorite aspect of your job at W&L?
I love getting to work closely with our team of student leaders in Housing and Residence Life. Their emotional intelligence, sense of fun and humor, and their commitment to making campus a better place is outstanding!

Q. If you chose a different path, what other career would you have?
I received my master's in public administration at the University of New Haven in hopes of landing a job as a city manager. I was working at UNH at the time as a graduate assistant in residence life. I loved it so much I decided to pursue higher education full-time instead.

Q. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Rockbridge County! I graduated from Parry McCluer High School and left home. I've lived in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and North Carolina before coming back seven years ago.

Q. What was your favorite subject in school?
I loved my German courses with Frau Yancy in high school. Sociology, anthropology and political science were my favorite courses in undergraduate and graduate school. I also enjoyed learning about various leadership frameworks in my doctoral program.

Q. What three words describe you best?
Intuitive, loyal, spontaneous.

Q. Name one person from history you would like to spend a day with and why.
Freddie Mercury … because he's Freddie Mercury, one of the biggest rock legends in history.

Q. Who is the most famous person you have met and where did you meet them?
I've been close to a few famous people, but only ever met one. I met the iron man Cal Ripken Jr. at Camden Yards in Baltimore when I was 16. Go O's!

Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Folks who can't or refuse to see the forest for the trees.

Q. What do you like to do away from work?
During the winter months I typically hibernate, watch shows, listen to music and play video games. During warmer months I like to kayak and go to concerts or music festivals!

Q. What is your least favorite chore at home?
Cleaning my cat Muddy's litter box.

Q. What is your favorite family holiday tradition?
Our family gets together to visit my oldest sister in Bath County for good food, football and skeet shooting.

Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
Backpacking Western Europe - Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and France in that order.

Q. What do you pretend to hate but secretly love?
Compliments - they make me feel awkward sometimes, but I actually appreciate them.

Q. What is your all-time favorite food or food dish?
Tacos! Taqueria Jalisco in Lexington and Chicano Boy in Staunton are two of my favorite local spots. Dona Chepa in Ensenada, Mexico is chef's kiss.

Q. Where would you choose to build your dream home?
A cabin in the Pacific Northwest not too far from a metropolitan area. Best of both worlds.

Q. What is your all-time favorite book?
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell and "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury.

Q. If you could choose one series to binge-watch, what would it be?
"X-Men: The Animated Series" or "X-Men '97."

Q. What is your all-time favorite movie?
The "Jurassic Park" franchise. The first one specifically. I wanted to be a paleontologist when I was a kid. My parents didn't appreciate me digging up the yard in search of dinosaur bones.

Q. Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I used to play drums in a traveling, two-person cover band. Playing drums is a hobby of mine and I still like to jam with friends from time to time.