Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Dr. David Cozzens is scheduled to be the subject of a TCU Human Resources series “What’s on Your Bookshelf?” on July 16.

Cozzens said in an interview in late June books help him understand himself and he hopes others will find meaning through books. Director of Employee Relations Susan Oakley will interview Cozzens based upon five books from his bookshelf.

“I hope that some of the conversation we have in mid-July will be helping people find some meaning by reading,” Cozzens said.

Cozzens’ role on campus is to promote a healthy lifestyle and to help students make healthy choices, according to the Campus Life website. Reading books is important to health and wellness, Cozzens said.

“Part of my idea of intellectual, spiritual, emotional wellness is about reading,” he said. “I think reading and studying, and thinking about the other side of the story is really important.”

Technology however has hindered us from progressing with healthy reading and actually shortens our attention span, he said.

“We aren’t reading in depth as much,” Cozzens said. “I think we’re reading less. There are more distractions. Technology is created to make us more efficient, but I’m no less busy. I’m more distracted, and what does that do? I don’t read as much”

Oakley is interviewing Cozzens because he is new and it is a good way for faculty and staff to get to know him, she said.

Oakley has been involved in the series “since it was started in 2008,” she said. Although new to the interviewing process, Oakley added her job as a human resources trainer has prepared her for the role.

“I haven’t done that much interviewing,” Oakley said. “However, I think HR has helped me become more comfortable talking to people.”

Oakley said reading is an important part of intellectual stimulation and she wants her interviews to be constructive in TCU student’s lives.

“Of course I would hope it would have a positive effect on or students as well,” she said. “If we’re treating each other kindly with care and compassion and interests as equal people it spills over into how we treat our students.”