Campus Spotlight: Dawson C. Wright IV

R-Cards—Just about everyone at Rollins has one. And these little pieces of plastic do everything from opening doors and buying meals to serving as an all-important ID badge. The campus has Dawson Wright to thank for his effort in helping keep everything R-Card-related in working order.

Wright first came to Rollins in 2008, after moving to Orlando following his marriage. “It was a nice give and take,” said Wright of the relocation. “My wife, Clara, was the one that suggested that I look at Rollins, and here I am.” Wright first stepped into the R-Card Coordinator role as part of the Office of the Bursar’s staff. Since then, it has been combined with the Office of Campus Security. Even so, there’s no shortage of friendly banter.

“Dawson is not here,” said Wright with his characteristic sense of humor. Unfortunately, the name plate on his desk gave away the joke.

Working with R-Cards is “a potpourri of anything you can think of” according to Wright. And there’s more to the job than handing out new cards. The start of the 2010-11 academic year has also introduced a new R-Card design. After noticing that the cards had looked the same ever since their introduction, Wright took advantage of the updated Rollins brand as an opportunity to re-invent the R-Cards and make the photo the center of attention.

The recent switch from FLEX to TAR BUC$ was also one of Wright’s projects. Wright began brainstorming ideas for a new name for the spending account. When he proposed TAR BUC$, the name stuck. It was not until after its approval that he explained the origin of the name. Checking his phone messages one day, he came across a missed call from his twin sister, whose last name is Tarbuk.

Outside the office, Wright enjoys participating in intramural sports, especially basketball. But he’s not picky: hockey, golf and softball are also on his list. He is also a loyal Pittsburgh and Penn State fan. If Wright is not playing sports or spending time with his family, he is volunteering with the Knights of Columbus and at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church in Orlando.

As for what the future holds, he may be spending more time in the Crummer building…he’s hoping to obtain his MBA. “I just started the process in the past few weeks,” said Wright. “I’ve wanted to get my MBA since ever since I graduated from Penn State in 2002, and now is a great time to do that.”  

Wright would like everyone to know that, “No matter what happens… the most important thing in life is your faith, your family and your closest friends.”


By Jennifer Ritter (Class of 2013)

Office of Public Relations & Community Affairs
For more information, contact news@rollins.edu.