Staff Profile: Logan McVaugh

Logan McVaugh is assistant director for institutional diversity and on-call dean. His activities include planning and producing OID programming, coordinating and running the M3 program, maintaining the community garden and supporting the College’s affinity groups. He also has frequent formal or informal meetings with students to discuss various parts of their identities and how to navigate them whether personally or within their academics. As one of six on-call deans on campus, McVaugh lives in Case Dorm with his wife, Tess, and their dog, Shelby. Living on campus allows for frequent interaction with students outside of office hours. “Every time I walk Shelby, we are stopped by students to say ‘hi’ and pet her for a bit. When I am on call, I also respond to any number of potential emergencies that students may be experiencing,” he says.

What is your favorite part about your job and why?

I love getting to connect with students and supporting them at a personal level. College is such an important time to differentiate from our families of origin and start to figure out who we want to be, and I love being able to be a resource to help students along that journey.

What is something people don’t understand about your job that you wish they did?

Since I live on campus, my job doesn’t stop at 5 p.m. As soon as I step outside, I am in work mode, which can be a challenge for the work/life balance, but I’m grateful for the interactions I get to have with students that inform the work I do.

If you could swap jobs with any other HMC employee for a day, who would it be and why?

F&M staff member Jesus, on Wednesdays, when he cuts the grass on the riding lawn mower. My allergies would die, but I’ve always wanted to drive one of those things! It seems so peaceful and mediative to make sure that the grass looks nice.

What HMC events have made you feel really connected to other HMC colleagues?

Hochsgiving/Hochsmas, HMC Pride events.

What is your favorite hobby, activity or creative outlet?

I love to workout. I primarily lift weights in the gym, but I also love cycling on my Peloton, and I’m trying to get into running. My wife is an artist, so I participate in various creative activities, but I really love cooking and seeing people’s faces light up when I make something good.

What is the best piece of advice someone has given you, either in life or at work?

When I got my first job as a server in a small, family owned restaurant, I was being trained by a woman who had worked there for almost 20 years. She told me, “Treat everyone like they are your grandma or someone you really care about. When someone is rude to you, you never know what they have going on in their life, so don’t take it personally. Continue to be kind because it may brighten someone’s day.” I’ve never forgotten that, and it has shaped how I have approached work every day. I get to see a lot of students’ really hard days, and I always do my best to stay kind no matter how hard the interaction is, because I know that sometimes they just need one person to care and be nice in order for them to be able to move forward.

What is your most effective strategy for dealing with stress?

It depends on the type of stress, but the things that work best for me are typically: meditation/breathwork, getting outside and doing something physical, whether that’s going for a walk or working out. Journaling also really helps when I can’t stop ruminating on something.

What book or podcast are you enjoying right now?

The Rich Roll Podcast. We recently started eating more plant based, and Rich Roll is a vegan and an incredible endurance athlete. His podcast covers all kinds of topics, from mindfulness to addiction recovery to running fundamentals to creativity to relationships. 

10% Happier. This podcast is all about mindset and meditation. I’ve learned so much about how to handle stressors and incorporate stress management into my daily life because we all can’t be on a meditation retreat all the time.

What’s a fun fact about you?

Everyone is always surprised to know that I crochet, and I even taught my wife to crochet when we first got together. Tess started a business teaching a crochet class and running a crochet club at a local shop. Contact me if you want to join!