Joe Scott, Associate Director for Student and Academic Affairs at the School of Nursing

Posted in Staff Spotlight  |  Tagged Staff/AAP

(July 11, 2025) — In October 2022, when Joe Scott started planning commencement events for the first time in his role as associate director for student and academic affairs at the School of Nursing, it was a significant challenge that helped to quickly immerse himself in the school’s inner workings.

Fortunately, Joe isn’t intimidated by challenges, like moving to a foreign country with just a beginner’s understanding of the language, relearning how to play an instrument after 14 years, and pursuing a master’s degree as a parent with a full-time job.

Building on experience he gained working at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Joe’s work at Georgetown is motivated by his dedication to serving students, faculty and staff.

“I really like working together with and helping people,” he said. “It’s a great feeling when you help someone.”

Bridging Student and Faculty Affairs

After looking for a more challenging role in which he had more autonomy, Joe started working at the School of Nursing in October 2022. His timing was serendipitous. That July, Georgetown’s School of Nursing & Health Studies became two separate schools: the School of Nursing and the School of Health.

“Coming into a School of Nursing that just split off from the School of Nursing & Health Studies, they wanted ideas and they wanted input,” he said.

In his role at the School of Nursing, Joe manages space, projects, course scheduling, budgets, procurement and program development, and bridges the gap between faculty and academic affairs. He also spends a lot of time managing and planning events for the school, a skill he developed while planning his own wedding.

In addition to commencement events, Joe manages several of the school’s events, including the Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program (GAAP), reunion weekend and New Student Orientation. He is currently working with colleagues from across campus to plan Georgetown’s Family Weekend, which takes place in October. With his counterpart at the School of Health, Joe serves as the co-chair of the Family Weekend Planning Committee and a member of the Advisory Board.

“Families are invited to campus to experience aspects of student life, get involved with schools, and participate in fun and engaging events,” he said. “It’s a chance for parents to come back and get involved after several weeks of their students being on campus.”

Staying Positive

To track tasks and timelines, Joe uses calendars, to-do lists and project management templates that he made in Excel. “I’m very good at keeping track of things and always write down things that might be forgotten,” he said. “I like to map out a master plan.”

Joe approaches his role with a service-focused mindset, and he aims to stay positive, even in challenging circumstances. When someone comes to Joe with a problem and he isn’t able to solve it the way they want, he aims to explain why and focus on what he can do to help.

“It really takes the frustration and anger out of an interaction, because you’re giving them details and you’re showing them that you’re really looking into it. You can show empathy,” he said. “Sometimes it’s really impactful, so being very honest about it and doing everything you can to help them get something out of it is important.”

Russian Immersion

While growing up in Maryland, Joe had Russian friends, igniting an interest in the language that he pursued in community college. After enjoying his introductory course, Joe went on a short study abroad trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, then returned, enrolling at St. Petersburg State University, where he lived for about a year.

Over time, Joe became semi-fluent in Russian and tested at the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) B1 level, indicating intermediate proficiency. He also studied Russian culture, history, literature and philology (the study of the structure and development of language).

“There’s something to be said about immersing yourself there and letting yourself be carried away,” he said. “It’s really surprising how quickly you learn that way.”

Joining a Community Orchestra

Before becoming interested in higher education as a profession, Joe was a musician, teaching private lessons, studying music performance and composition in college, and even playing in a few bands. A recent opportunity to play with an orchestra rekindled his passion for playing the clarinet, something he hadn’t done for 14 years.

“Last year I joined a video game community orchestra of 200 people. I really, really loved it and I really, really wanted to do it,” he said.

Despite his concerns that he’d lost the skill, Joe persevered, performing in front of an audience of thousands. “That’s probably the proudest I’ve been in recent memory, and it felt incredible.” He hopes to sing in the orchestra choir or play the oboe starting next year.

‘A Great Environment To Be In’

With his 10 years of experience working in higher education, Joe values the field’s diverse opportunities, prompting him to pursue a master’s degree in higher education leadership at Notre Dame of Maryland University. His program covers higher education policy, assessment, research, leadership principles, budgeting and strategic planning, giving him exposure to many facets of higher education.

“In higher ed, you have the opportunity to do many different things in your career,” he said. “That’s what the program is about — developing the skills to go in any direction in higher ed that you want.”

Whether he sticks with academic affairs or works in a different role in higher education, Joe intends to continue working at Georgetown for the foreseeable future.

“Georgetown really means what they say with cura personalis,” he said. “Being at Georgetown is just a great environment to be in, and I want to be here as the School of Nursing grows.”

Kat Zambon
GUMC Communications