It takes a lot of people to make Mercer University the institution that it is. The students have and always will be the lifeblood of our University, but Mercer wouldn’t be Mercer without expert faculty members to pass on their knowledge and highly-skilled staff members to manage day-to-day operations. Our “Worker Bears” series highlights the Mercer employees who work tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to care for our University and our students.
Meet Austin Rayford
Title: Housing and Residence Life area coordinator for the apartments and Greek Village on Mercer’s Macon campus
How long he’s worked at Mercer: Four years
What he does: “I am primarily responsible for developing and maintaining residential communities which foster the growth and success of Mercer students. I spend much of my time working with our Resident Directors and Resident Assistant leaders to develop and implement innovative programs. We also work together to ensure the safety of our residential community. In addition to those duties, I serve as the adviser for our Residence Hall Association and National Residence Hall Honorary.”
What he loves most about his work: “I find joy in working with our student leaders and building community. The tenacity that our students exhibit is remarkable. Through my role, I have the opportunity to share the journey of challenges and triumphs in regards to both academic and co-curricular success. To see students work persistently to make the Mercer community their own is inspirational. Through them, I am constantly reminded of what it means to ‘Be the Bear.’ Go Bears!”
