Meet a Colleague: Lisa Rodocker Lisa Rodocker serves as assistant dean of admissions for the Law School.
Lisa Rodocker, assistant dean of law school admissionsQ. How long have you worked at W&L?
This is my second stint at W&L. I first worked as a study abroad advisor in the Center for International Education during the 2006-07 academic year. I left to earn my graduate degree, then returned and started working at the Law School in September 2011.
Q. What do you like most about working at W&L?
This is a hard question to answer. I have wonderful, talented and empathetic co-workers, but my favorite thing about working at the university is the amazing students we get to work with and support. We have a superb group of law students who are passionate about their area of study and also caring about one another. They make it fun to come to work each day.
Q. Where is your favorite location on the W&L campus?
I love the Law School because I spend so much time there and have so many memories, but I also really enjoy the back-campus trails.
Q. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Seattle, Washington. My mom, sisters and their families still live there.
Q. What advice do you have for students (or parents)?
I often tell our law students that time is one of their most precious resources, and to think carefully about how they want to allocate their time so they are able to succeed academically, but also have time for themselves and for things that bring them joy.
Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
My family and I love to travel. One of my favorite adventures was when we went to Puerto Rico and spent our anniversary kayaking at night in a bioluminescent bay. It was an unbelievable experience!
Q. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
I love spending time with my family – my husband Jason also works at W&L, and our kids Caleb (9) and Jill (7) are at Waddell Elementary here in Lexington. We have a 12-year-old dog, Bandit, who is our fifth family member. We really enjoy traveling together, having family movie nights and helping out with our kids’ various activities.
Q. If you could live anywhere, where would you build your dream home?
I love experiencing all four seasons and having long springs and falls, so Virginia has pretty great weather as far as I am concerned. Lexington/Rockbridge County is a wonderful place to raise a family, so at this point in my life, I would build my dream home right here. Later, I’d love to live within sight of the ocean.
Q. Who most inspires you?
My parents divorced when I was five, but they both continued to work together to make sure my sister and I had two supportive parents in our lives. That kind of commitment to your family and to prioritizing your kids – that impresses me. Additionally, I am fortunate to work with an amazingly talented and dedicated faculty and staff at the law school. I see my coworkers go the extra mile for our students on a daily basis. It’s invigorating and it motivates me to do my best.
Q. What book are you reading now?
I really like mysteries. I recently finished “ The Dry” by Jane Harper, which was very good. I’m just starting ”The Good Ones” by local author Polly Stewart and I’m looking forward to it!
Q. What music are you listening to these days?
Waddell did a Lin-Manuel Miranda-themed music bracket last March and my kids have been asking our Alexa device to play his music pretty much nonstop since then. They love “Hamilton” (to be fair, we all love “Hamilton”). We also took a trip to England this summer and on our last night we got to see “Wicked.” It rekindled my love of musicals, so I’ve been listening to a fair number of Broadway show tunes since coming home.
Q. Your favorite film (movie) of all time?
Again, this is a really hard question! I love “The Princess Bride” and can quote lots of it. But I enjoy a lot of movies, including British period pieces, action films and classic films. I’m almost always happy to watch a movie.
Q. What is the website you visit most often and why?
Outside of the W&L sites and basic things like Google, Gmail and weather.com, I probably visit npr.org the most for a check of the news.
Q. If they made a movie about your life, who would play you?
Hmm, maybe Julia Stiles? She is about my age, and one of her early movies was mostly filmed in Seattle, so that seems fitting.
Q. If you could have coffee with one person, who would it be and why?
I would absolutely love to meet Michelle Obama. She is a powerful communicator, such a force for positive change – and she’s done it while being a wonderful mom to her girls. If I got to pick a second person it would either be Agatha Christie or Jane Austen.
Q. What is your desert island food?
You can never have too much watermelon.
Q. Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I love trivia, especially pub trivia and Jeopardy. I have always wanted to try out for Jeopardy.
Q. What is your secret talent?
I am a pretty good swimmer and could probably go and swim a mile in a pool on any given day without too much effort.
Q. Anything else you’d like to share?
My favorite time of day is sunset. The sunsets in Rockbridge County are amazing and I love sitting in my kitchen or on our deck and watching the view. We are incredibly fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the country.
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