February 26, 2003

Profile: Mark Manderino

Title and length of service: Area Coordinator for Fraternity and Sorority Life; one year and three months.

What do you do? I advise the 40 fraternity and sorority chapters, three Greek honorary organizations and the Greek Student Counselor Program. Additionally, I assist with any overall fraternity and sorority community programming such as recruitment and Greek Week.

Road to Northwestern: I grew up in the southwest suburbs. I was a history major at the University of Illinois where I became a member of Delta Upsilon Fraternity. I wasn’t initially sold on the fraternity experience and did not join until I was a sophomore. Now, I can’t imagine my life without having joined a fraternity given the impact it has had on me personally as well as ultimately on my career choice. I went on to receive a master’s degree in student affairs administration from Indiana University. After graduation I headed out west where I was the coordinator of Greek affairs at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Why would you leave the sun, warm weather and beaches? Despite the cold weather here, I jumped at the chance to return to a metropolitan area and work on a Big Ten campus. With Northwestern, you have the best of both worlds: A traditional residential campus and Chicago in your backyard.

Life on campus: Interestingly, for the first time since my undergraduate days, I’m living in an apartment on campus. My position is “live on” by design in order to respond to potential overnight campus emergencies in the fraternities and sororities.

Outside of work: I play in a volleyball league each week. I enjoy traveling, the lakefront when it’s warm, spending time with family and friends and taking advantage of all that Chicago has to offer.

—Marilyn Idelman Soglin