Dominic Hannon joined Daemen University in April, as assistant director for student center operations.
Overseeing the Wick Student Center and its team, Hannon is tasked with ensuring a welcoming environment on campus for the Daemen community and those visitors. He will also support and promote student-run programming.
Dominic Hannon
Hannon has experience in student union management, event coordination, business operations and staff training and supervision. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from Niagara University and a master’s degree in higher education administration from SUNY Buffalo State College, where he worked as a student union operations manager for more than three years.
We spoke to Dominic about his professional passions and what led him to Daemen.
What inspired you to pursue your career?
Ever since I was an undergraduate student at Niagara University, I was involved on campus. I was an orientation leader and campus programming board member and held different student leadership positions.
When I went to SUNY Buffalo State College as a graduate assistant, I taught leadership development classes to students for large-scale programming.
From there, I realized I enjoyed working to help support student centers and the students, faculty and staff who use them.
Overall, what does a student center involve?
A student center serves as the focus point of campus, where both members of the campus and outside communities can gather to listen to new student ideas and collaborate with those of the institution.
What attracted you to this position, and to Daemen?
I was looking to join a smaller school with a great sense of community. As soon as I interviewed at Daemen, I knew immediately that its community was something I wanted to be part of.
What are your passions outside of work?
I love to appreciate all styles of music whether it’s hip hop, country, or old-school rock. I plan many of my vacations around concerts. For nearly 10 years, I have worked special events security as a side job to be exposed to new live music at venues including Artpark, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center and more.
Why do you enjoy working with students?
I enjoy learning from students and working to help them in ways that are best for them.
Everyone is different and I enjoy seeing students navigate university in their own independent ways.
Everyone has different goals in mind. I enjoy seeing how people view success and how they want to get there and helping them achieve their goals.
What do you look forward to most at Daemen and what are your goals for your future here?
I look forward to collaborating with members of the Daemen community to help bring Wick to a place it hasn’t been before and gain the full potential of the building. I will work towards recreating Wick as a central community space – a “living room” – of the university where people can come together.