The Office of Student Affairs welcomed an employee to a newly created position this year. Teresa Branch, new assistant vice president for student affairs, began her employment at Iowa State last month. Thomas Hill, vice president for student affairs, said the position was created and took two years to fill. He said the position was needed because the number of agencies the Office of Student Affairs oversees has grown, and another person was needed to help out in the office. Branch said before coming to Iowa State she worked for 16 years at Arizona State University as the assistant vice president for student affairs and director of the Counseling Center. “I was looking for a change and a new institution,” she said. “Even though the title is the same, my responsibilities are different.” Branch is second-in-command to Hill and will be overseeing strategic planning, agency review, human relations and the Student Affairs’ budget among other key departmental duties. “We are fortunate to have her and are looking forward to her many contributions to the faculty and students of Iowa State,” Hill said. Branch also is involved with several university committees such as the Committee on Fraternities and Sororities. She said one of her goals at Iowa State is to have a good working relationship with students and faculty from across the campus and to understand the culture at Iowa State, which differs from Arizona State. “I want to experience everything here at Iowa State,” she said. Being involved with the New Student Days program and orientation made her transition to Iowa State run smoothly, Branch said. Branch earned her undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of California in Berkeley and a master’s degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York in Albany. She said her love of working with students attracted her to higher education. After working at other university’s student affairs, she felt at home practicing her discipline of psychology.