kris surovjak

ksurovjak@bates.edu | they/them
Assistant Dean of Admission

Raised on the shores of Lake Erie in Port Clinton, Ohio, kris, a trumpet player in their high school band, dreamed of dotting the “i” in script Ohio (BDBITL). Turns out only sousaphone players receive that honor, so kris quickly changed gears. In retrospect, it was perhaps not the best idea to base an entire college search on this one goal, but at that time, kris didn’t know what a liberal arts education was. What they did know is that they were up for an adventure. So when they were recruited to play basketball for Kenyon College, they jumped in with both feet and applied early decision.

Kris’s habit of saying yes to the unfamiliar was celebrated in the liberal arts environment. The encouragement they received to take classes outside their comfort zone unlocked new interests, from environmental sustainability to enigmatology. As a music major and three sport athlete, kris spent most of their time practicing one thing or another, and it was their experience in athletics that propelled them into their first career coaching collegiate sports. They worked at several institutions including the University of Charleston, where they earned their masters degree, then went on to Oberlin College as the head volleyball coach and later transitioned onto Oberlin’s admission team.

During their time at Oberlin, kris discovered their passion for backpacking. Eager for more access to the outdoors, kris took a job with Whitman College where the hiking was excellent, but they missed regular visits with family. So kris is delighted to be back in the Eastern time zone, a stone’s throw from some of New England’s best hiking and much closer to parents, siblings, neiphlings, etc.

Kris has said yes to adventures including but not limited to completing their fall admission travel on a bicycle and co-founding an all-queer rock band in which they play lead guitar. Kris and their wife, Rainey, spend time guiding/being guided by their three kiddos, walking their very social French Bulldog, and trying to prevent their cat from doing nuisance cat things. They are glad to be joining the Bates community where they are confident they will meet students who are patient, resourceful, and adventurous enough to pet-sit for Lola and Mateo.