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Fueled by the outstanding mentorship he received throughout his academic career, Dr. Ryan Theroux is on a mission to provide the same experience for Curry College students.

Theroux is a Professor of General Education at Curry, focusing his teaching and research on how the first-year transition can lay the foundation for a valuable college experience, and more so, a fulfilling life. But perhaps the greatest pillar to higher education success? The meaningful relationships.

“It’s about belonging. It's about people. It's about community. It's about feeling welcome and that's what you're going to remember,” he said. “You're going to remember someone that really influenced you or played a big part in your life at a very vulnerable time. That’s what it's all about.”

Theroux appreciates the diverse set of experiences that each Curry student brings to the table, and embraces the grit persistence factor of engaging all that he has the opportunity to teach. “When you teach, you have to learn to roll with the differences and being uncomfortable when things don't go the way they're supposed to,” said Theroux. “I love that challenge of engaging my students at Curry. That's probably my favorite part about teaching.”

Throughout his own academic journey and inspired by his mentors, Theroux pursued Higher Education as a program of study, fascinated by the different aspects of it all. He received his Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at the University of Nevada, and has since published numerous articles on the first-year experience, campus culture, and more.

In the spring of 2024, Theroux embarked upon his first sabbatical, researching the first-year experience at colleges around the world, hoping to gain valuable feedback and knowledge to enhance the program at Curry. “I feel like what I'm doing is interesting to me, but it's also of interest to people at Curry, which is really cool,” he said. “It feels rewarding.” And even though he’s not physically on campus, he still checks his email every day, just in case a student needs him. “I’m still going to do whatever I can to help them,” he said. Because, at the end of the day, the meaningful relationships that are forged on a tight-knit campus such as Curry are what truly create a meaningful college experience, and beyond.