Hats Off to Kristen Burnett!

Residential & Community Living Welcomes a New Leader

The baton was passed recently, giving Residential & Community Living a new Executive Director. Kristen Burnett, who has been with UCSB professionally for 19 years (plus some academia years we’ll get to later), luckily accepted Marian Bankins’ pass. The two have worked together for about 15 years in R&CL, and Kristen, or KB, as she is affectionately known as, said she got some great words of advice from her predecessor.

“She has taught me countless lessons over the years,” KB said in an interview. “Most recently, she has challenged me to maintain a healthy work-life balance by reminding me to prioritize my health, my family, as well as the needs of the department.”

In her previous role at R&CL, KB was an Associate Director in Student Conduct and Assistant Dean of Students. In that position, she and her staff are continuously faced with tough situations regarding students’ safety and mental health. When asked how she gathers the strength and courage to face these difficult conversations and circumstances, KB said no one can ever fully be prepared to manage the intensity that comes with the role, and thanks staff across campus, including her HDAE colleagues, for helping in supporting UCSB’s student population.

“You do your best and take one step at a time. My main focus is to provide a calm presence for the person and, typically, the next steps become more evident as we work through the matter,” she shared. “Having a deep bench of trained and empathetic partners helps assuage the intensity of these situations, but it is always difficult to see a student in crisis.”

Worth noting is KB’s education, which no doubt helped prepare her for where she got to today. She began her college years right here at UCSB, majoring in English and Sociology. From there she went to receive an MSc in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh, only to return back to her alma mater to receive an MA and a PhD in Education, in 2007 and 2010, respectively. She also flexed in the pools on campus, playing water polo from 1994 to 1998. She was the team captain her last two years and the team was ranked 5th in the nation. Go Gauchos!

“Many of the fondest memories from my undergraduate days center around Campus Pool,” KB said. “I remain close friends with many of my former teammates and do my best to support the current team by attending the Alumni Game and as many of their games as I can fit into my schedule.”

A schedule that is also jam-packed with activities with her husband of 20 years, and her two sons Ian, 16, and Dylan, 8. The family spends many weekend hours traveling with Ian’s baseball team for tournaments and games, while Dylan is loving soccer and following in his Mom’s footsteps of swimming.

With so many great memories shared at this oceanside campus and its adjacent small-town, it’s easy to understand what’s kept KB here. And she’s quick to credit the students and her colleagues.

“I love the students’ energy, their drive, their curiosities; it's a pleasure to be a part of a student’s overall development and to watch their thinking, approaches and passions further develop and evolve,” she shared. “As for colleagues, I consider myself the luckiest co-worker around. I work with compassionate, respectful and fun colleagues. Every day is a school day and we learn from each other daily. This type of growth mindset makes for a productive and inspiring culture/work experience.”

This Compass piece highlighting R&CL’s newest leader would be amiss if it didn’t mention what KB is looking forward to in the coming years. Specifically she highlights that this is R&CL’s 10th year post the merger that joined Residential Life and Apartment Living.

“I think it is a good time to take a look at our practices. Are we maximizing the talent of our professionals? Are we serving students to the best of our abilities?” she continued, “I’m a naturally curious person, so I am excited to dig deeper into our practices and philosophies.”