I work in partnership with students to address their needs, making sure we're giving them the resources and filling the gaps, so that they can be successful in the curriculum and in their careers. I work alongside faculty and staff to advocate for student needs and ensure we develop our students to reach their goals. Students can bring their complaints, challenges, or compliments to us as we improve their experience here.
Welcome Dr. Robin Dankovich, New Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Dankovich brings deep expertise in medical education and support services for students to Cummings School
One of the most defining moments that shaped Dr. Robin Dankovich's career path was an undergraduate advisor telling her she would not succeed in a rigorous degree program.
"From the ripples of that experience, I have always felt a serious obligation to students coming to me. I need to be curious about who they are and how I can support and encourage them. An academic roadblock led me to be a champion for other students in similar situations," she says.
Dankovich (she/her) went on to earn not only her master's degree, but her doctorate, and has spent the past three decades in higher education, building out services and helping students reach their full potential. In June, Dankovich joined Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University to support students as the new assistant dean for Student Affairs.
A first-generation college student, Dankovich found the academics and navigating the educational system challenging. Her advisor's comments not only undermined her confidence at the time but also ignited a drive within her that would eventually translate into supporting students with thoughtful and realistic guidance rather than discouragement. She switched majors (and advisors), earning her B.S. in education at Boston University (BU). The collaborative atmosphere in BU's School of Education was reminiscent of her experiences in high school competing on the volleyball, basketball, and track teams.
"Sports taught me that I want to be in a team environment, where it's about the successes of everyone. That ultimately got me into student affairs," she says.
Staying on at BU for six years after graduation, Dankovich worked in administrative positions in the Bursar's Office and Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. She began working directly with students when she and her husband moved out west to the University of Idaho. As a program advisor and later operations manager of a new student recreation center, she played an integral role in opening the center, hiring and building a training program for 50 student employees.
"It was my first work in student leadership development, seeing their vision and giving them the tools to help them achieve their goals," says Dankovich. "It's never about where you are; it's about where you can go. It's my job to facilitate individual people's growth and be a cheerleader in their lives, to believe in them when they struggle to believe in themselves."
After five years in Idaho, Dankovich, her husband, and two young daughters relocated to Texas, where she worked in student services at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She valued the exposure to higher education administration and leadership, but missed daily face-to-face interactions with students. "I decided I was going back to school to get the credentials to be in the spaces and places that matter most," she says.
Moving from administrator to student, Dankovich earned her Master of Education at UTEP. She then joined Texas Tech University as a recruiter for the first two classes to enter the new Foster School of Medicine, advising applicants on steps to take to earn acceptance.
Returning to UTEP to pursue her Doctor of Education, Dankovich was an assistant instructor in a number of courses and a research associate for a professor leading a campus climate assessment of two small colleges, making recommendations for faculty development and campus programming to support the school's growing student body.
With her EdD complete, Dankovich circled back to Texas Tech University's Health Sciences Center, El Paso. She held a variety of roles over the next several years, starting as the assistant director and later director of Accreditation and Educational Program Improvement. She helped craft the school's mission, vision, and core competencies for students, and met accreditation standards.
"I learned soup to nuts everything to do with medical education, working up from the ground floor for a medical school evolving into a separately accredited university," she says. "I was focused on services and continuous quality improvement in order to ensure student success and institutional objectives."
Dankovich was then tapped for the role of assistant vice president for Student Services and Student Engagement to create and develop additional resources for students, including a wellness program and counseling center. She also helped support the expansion of the dental school and nursing and biomedical sciences programs, built out the registrar's office, and established the financial aid office.
Two years ago, Dankovich returned with her family to her home state of Massachusetts and became associate dean of Students, Health, and Well-Being at Clark University in Worcester, again dedicated to enhancing resources for students.
"I appreciated the school's focus on embedding health and well-being across the curriculum as an upstream solution rather than a downstream response," she says. "We were not waiting for students to need the services, but incorporating supports and resources earlier in the process and early identification for students at risk. The goal was to create a supportive environment so that students could build agency and thrive."
While at Clark, Dankovich trained in wellness coaching and developing the "whole" student, fostering resiliency and guiding students as they encounter challenges. She likens the approach to putting on one's own oxygen mask before taking care of others.
"We need more wellness and work-life balance, so that students build good habits before becoming medical professionals. We have to build out supportive services so students have the life skills to complement their professional skills long-term," she explains.
With her background in medical education, the opportunity to serve as assistant dean for Student Affairs at Cummings School presented the perfect mix of supporting graduate students in a new field of medicine for her. She oversees wellness, financial aid, and other support services, such as tutoring and mentoring, for Cummings School's D.V.M., master's, and Ph.D. students.
Cummings School's focus on One Health also resonated with Dankovich.
"It's a full circle seeing that notion in animal and human health interaction and supporting students passionate about making a difference through their work, whether for animals or humans," she says. "How I help them address the headwinds, reach these goals, and make a difference, that's what's exciting to me—and I love animals too."
Dankovich finds her own work-life balance, spending time with her family, gardening, and being outdoors, often hiking or running. She's also a huge Boston sports fan and an avid bird-watcher.
In her first few weeks at Cummings School, Dankovich already feels at home, welcomed and supported by the community, and as assistant dean for Student Affairs, she hopes to impart that same feeling to students.
"I work in partnership with students to address their needs, making sure we're giving them the resources and filling the gaps, so that they can be successful in the curriculum and in their careers," says Dankovich. "I work alongside faculty and staff to advocate for student needs and ensure we develop our students to reach their goals. Students can bring their complaints, challenges, or compliments to us as we improve their experience here."