Name: Dan Amato
Title: Assistant Director for Conduct and Community Standards
Department: Residential Life
Where are you from? I grew up in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago where I live now as well.
What brought you to Student Affairs? I had the chance to be an RA when I was in undergrad and a couple years after I graduated I was trying to think about what I wanted to do with my life. I realized that being an RA was one of the best jobs I ever had, and when I consulted with a mentor in the field, they told me I could do this as a career. Now a few years down the line, I have honed my passion but still enjoy the work for the same reasons, getting to build relationships with students, faculty and staff who are doing really amazing things for the world.
How many years have you worked in Student Affairs at Northwestern? 5.5
What’s your favorite part about working in Student Affairs? We are very fortunate at NU to have some outstanding professionals working here. My favorite part of working in SA comes back to those wonderful people I get to work with on a daily basis who are so dedicated to doing amazing work here and beyond.
Who or what has had the greatest influence on your career? The students of Douglas Hall at Eastern Illinois University. I worked as a GA during my grad program with this community and it was interacting with these students that helped me find my passion for working in student conduct and supporting students in that realm.
What inspires you? People that are truly and authentically themselves inspire me, especially when we are allowed to build deep personal relationships. I also am generally inspired by people who are willing to speak what needs to be said without fear or reservation about how others will react to that.
What can’t you live without? I do not generally go anywhere without my water bottle but if we are being honest, I could not live without sweets. Send me all of your brownies, cookies, cupcakes and the likes at any time!
How do you like to spend your free time? I enjoy spending my freetime with my wife and daughter, getting outside whether on walks or runs or just enjoying a nice patio. Watching Chicago sports or sports generally tends to fill up a lot of my time as well, very excited that college football is back in season!
What’s your favorite spot on campus? I know the Lakefill is probably cliche but the view you can get of the Chicago skyline when you walk south on the lakefill path on the eastern side is hard to beat.