Leslie Duhaylongsod and Eric Beerbohm bring passion and enthusiasm to their positions as the new Faculty Deans of Quincy House.
They were inspired to apply because of the warmth of the communities they experienced as students and a desire to recreate this deep connection.
Duhaylongsod and Beerbohm first met during their senior year at Stanford University, where they lived in a community service-themed dormitory. Already, the pair has seamlessly woven their backgrounds, professional expertise, and family into the community and culture of Quincy House.
“Having taught and advised students in Social Studies, and now having gotten to know many of the students in Quincy House, I find that the students are united by their desire to put a dent in the world, in one way or another,” said Beerbohm. “I hope to use my love of politics and philosophy to foster this student culture, to create a warm environment where students are able to have discussions and do the important intellectual work that often happens outside of the classroom.”
As an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Salem State University, Duhaylongsod not only teaches public school teachers of the future, but also implements new efforts to retain and recruit students of color in teacher licensure programs. She plans to use her anti-racist work in education to inform similar themes in the House.
“I am thinking a lot about what genuine, meaningful, anti-racist programming might look like in the Houses. I am thinking about how we can implement this programming in order to help students along their journeys to developing a kind of identity-focused, cultural proficiency,” Duhaylongsod said.
Beerbohm has similar goals for the transformational, social work that could take place in the House. As a Professor of Government and the Chair of the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies, Beerbohm researches and teaches on a variety of academic interests, including democratic theory, theories of social equality, and the philosophy of social science. He has already found innovative ways of using his expertise to foster important discussions amongst Quincy students.
They have been making an effort to organize virtual community dinners, take part in student research studies, and encourage student posting on the Quincy House Instagram. In their free time, Duhaylongsod and Beerbohm are most often outdoors with their two sons, Justin and Nate, as well as their new puppy, Josiah Quincy. The more they get to know Quincy House, the more excited about the opportunities they become.
“I grew up in a legal gambling house. People from all over the community would come, play cards, and talk with each other,“ Duhaylongsod said. “It was a really special way to grow up, feeling so deeply cared for by people who were not my immediate family members. We really wanted a similar experience for our two boys, and we have found it in Quincy House.”
“We are so enthusiastic about the future, about having the House together in-person. We cannot wait to meet all of our students, hear their stories, and feel the incredible enthusiasm and community we have already begun to experience through virtual means,” Beerbohm said.