In an email to students on April 5, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs for Inclusion and Diversity Eduardo Pazos announced that Oliver Goodrich will take over his post as director of the Rachel Lord Center for Religious and Spiritual Life beginning June 6.

“[Goodrich] was born and raised in northern Maine, and is excited for the opportunity to return to his home state and to support all Bowdoin students—religious and non-religious alike—in exploring questions of meaning, purpose, and ethics,” Pazos wrote in the email.

Pazos said he was excited for Goodrich to lead the center and continue its commitment to spiritual direction.

“Spiritual direction is the spiritual art of walking with someone, not telling them where to go, not coaching them,” Pazos said. “You’re just accompanying someone … We don’t tell them what to do. We don’t necessarily offer advice … and that is one of his expertises, so I thought, ‘What better person to be the next director of religious spiritual life?’”

Pazos noted that Goodrich formed immediate connections with students during the interview process, which he hopes will develop into strong relationships in the near future.

“I’m really excited for students to get to know [Goodrich],” Pazos said. “I think they’re going to like him a lot. We did interviews with a lot of students and staff, and across the board, including with the students, he received the highest level of feedback and the highest scoring points [of all the candidates].”

By accepting this position, Goodrich is returning to his home state and will be closer to his and his partner’s families.

“For him, this is not just a job or the next job. For him, this is a job [where he’s] coming back home,” Pazos said. “This is the first time that he is going to be able to do [his work in Maine]. When I offered him the job, he was really excited, and he told me ‘I never imagined that I would get to do the work that I do in my home state, in my home area.’”