Kimberly A. Pacelli, a former director of residential life at Bowdoin College and graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, officially assumed her new position as associate dean of student life on Monday.

Pacelli fills the vacancy left open by Joshua G. McIntosh, the former associate dean of student life who is now serving as the dean of academic services at Johns Hopkins University.

Until August, McIntosh had also temporarily led the Office of Student Life after former Dean of Student Life Suzy M. Nelson’s June departure for Colgate University.

Pacelli was not available for comment Monday.

Dean of the College Evelynn M. Hammonds announced Pacelli’s appointment as associate dean in an Aug. 16 email to colleagues. Hammonds wrote that she was delighted that Pacelli would be joining the College community and asked that her colleagues join her in welcoming the new dean to the College.

Before becoming associate dean, Pacelli was a practicing attorney at Drummond Woodsum in Portland, Maine after leaving her position at Bowdoin in 2008 to attend law school at the University of Maine Law School.

Pacelli served as the assistant director of residential life for two years at Bowdoin before leaving to pursue her masters in education at Harvard and later working at the Department of Education in Washington D.C, according to The Bowdoin Orient, the campus newspaper. She returned to the College in 2004 as Director of Residential Life.

As Director of Residential Life, Pacelli continued work that she began as an undergraduate in Bowdoin’s class of 1998. While in her junior year, Pacelli served as one of three students on a commission to help phase out the fraternity system and establish the College House system, according to The Orient.

In addition to overseeing a staff of 70 students and managing programming and events at the office, Pacelli focused on developing the Bowdoin House system and the Office of Residential Life, Associate Director of Housing Operations Lisa Rendall said.

According to Rendall, Pacelli also developed strong relationships with students, who would often come into her office, whether it was to play trivia or the game Boggle or discuss politics.

“She is a political junkie and is more than happy to talk about elections and the Constitution with anyone who is interested,” Rendell said.

In an email to the Undergraduate Council Monday morning, UC President Danny P. Bicknell ‘13 welcomed Pacelli to her new position.

Bicknell said that he hopes continues McIntosh’s work on student organization funding, a top priority last semester. Bicknell added that he is excited what Pacelli will bring to the position of associate dean of student life, especially given safety and academic integrity concerns at the College and the ongoing search for a dean of student life.

“This will definitely be helpful to students to have another dean other than two vacant spots,” said Bicknell.

The position of dean of student life has yet to be filled. A job posting for the position appeared on The Chronicle of Higher Education last month.

—Staff writer Melanie A. Guzman can be reached at melanieguzman@college.harvard.edu.