On a typical day, students come in and out of the active office located on the northern end of the Student Center to request everything from information on starting a student organization to the latest happenings on campus.

The atmosphere may seem overwhelming, but Gina D'Annunzio, the new director of Student Activities, takes her day in stride. In fact, the energy on Temple's campus is what originally attracted her to the university.

"Temple students keep me on my toes," D'Annunzio said. "They challenge me with their fresh and cutting-edge ideas. I take great pride in helping them harness their creativity, shape their dreams, and share in their growth and success."

D'Annunzio, who is originally from Camp Hill, Pa., received a bachelor of arts in anthropology from Vanderbilt University and a master of education in sports and recreation administration from Temple.

She served as interim director of Student Activities for a year before taking over the position permanently in June. During her time as interim director, her focus was on advancing the services for student organizations.

"With the assistance of Computer Services, we have created an online registration system, which simplifies the process for students registering their group, and enables us to catalog information used to provide services for student groups," she said.

With Welcome Week and other student programs behind her for this year, D'Annunzio is gearing up for Temple's Homecoming events starting on Oct., 2 and the Memorable Moments series of outings that give students an opportunity to visit local restaurants for a taste of international culture. This year, students will visit restaurants that specialize in Guatemalan, Belgian and Malaysian cooking.