Chelsie L. Hawkinson specializes in the collegiate first-year experience and students in transition. She serves as the college’s first- and second-year seminar coordinator, teaching courses designed to support students’ academic, personal, and professional development during critical transition points.

With nearly two decades of experience in first-year seminars and learning communities, Hawkinson’s teaching and program development focus on student engagement, belonging, and success. Her work integrates high-impact educational practices, emphasizing equitable access to learning through frequent feedback, collaborative dialogue, and meaningful interaction with faculty and peers. She incorporates Touchstones discussion pedagogy and Life Design frameworks to help students build agency, clarify direction, and engage more intentionally in their college experience. In addition to her teaching, she serves as the college’s faculty fellow for student success and engagement.