Staff Directory

We can’t wait to meet you!

Explore this directory to search for:

Center for Career Engagement leadership
Career coaches
Employer relations professionals
Events, operations & program professionals

Center for Career Engagement Leadership

Norma Guerra Gaier

Norma Guerra Gaier is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Career Development and Education. In this role she leads the newly established WashU Center for Career Engagement designed to provide equitable […]

Danny Pape, MEd

Danny Pape serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Career Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis. He previously oversaw the Brown School Career Services team (Social Work, […]

Nan Barnes

Nan Barnes serves as the Director of Academic Partnerships at WashU’s Center for Career Engagement. In this role, she is responsible for building strong relationships with WashU’s colleges, academic departments, […]

Tyler Gahrs, MA

Tyler Gahrs serves as the Manager of Strategy & Impact for the Center for Career Engagement. In this role, he leads the operations, events, and data strategy for career engagement […]

Casey Jenkerson, MA

Casey Jenkerson is the Director of Employer Engagement for the Center for Career Engagement. In this role, she provides the employer engagement team with strategic direction to build relationships with […]

Christine Keller

Christine Keller is the Director of Career Communities and Career Development. She seeks to inspire students to explore careers, make connections, meet alumni, and feel a sense of belonging. Her […]

Career Coaches

Lenore Albee

Emily Albers

I have been providing career development coaching, course instruction, and academic advising for university students since 2016. Previously, I recruited interns and early career professionals for a top accounting and […]

Eliza Angarano

I have been working with students in higher education for a little over seven years but I’ve always had a strong passion for helping students. My undergraduate degree is in […]

Khalia Benson

Khalia Benson is an accomplished Career Coach with a wealth of experience spanning over a decade. Her approach is deeply rooted in understanding her clients’ individuality, guiding them towards career […]

Cynthia Bowdry

Fulfilling my role as a career coach is striving to meet students where they are in the most effective way. I strive to help students reach desirable and favorable outcomes […]

Amber Brown

Amber has worked for WashU since 2017 as a career coach with the Brown School serving master- and doctorate-level students and alumni with an interest in social work, public health […]

Michael Chapin, MS, MEd

I am an assistant director of career development in the business career community who specializes in management consulting and various business careers. I counsel all levels of students and alumni […]

Susan Craig, MA, MPA

I have policy and political experience both in DC and beyond. I’ve been an intelligence analyst for the US government as well as a fundraiser for the Democratic Party. I […]

Brett DeHekker, MEd

I hold a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in counseling with five years of experience in higher education academic advising and career coaching. I am a […]

Roy Ferguson

I’m a WashU alumnus with a Masters in Computer Science (’90). I have spent most of my career in software engineering. Additionally, I founded a successful Software-as-a-Service company and can […]

Jennifer Finney, LPC, MEd

As a career coach, I work with technology, data, and engineering students, both undergraduate and graduate. I also work with students interested in sustainability, counseling / licensure, and students wanting […]

Erika Fitzgibbon

For more than 20 years as a career coach and leader of career development in higher education and private practice, I have focused on the professional development and advancement of […]

Kimberly Gerik, MA

I have always been passionate about helping people achieve their dreams and goals in any way I possibly can. All of us need mentoring and guidance at some point in […]

Andy Harber, SPHR

After a 25 year career in human resources management, I transitioned to a career coach role in the Center for Career Engagement, coaching students with interests in educational leadership, policy […]

Tawni Hoeglund, PhD

As a career consultant, I am passionate about helping students identify and explore career possibilities that align with their interests, values, abilities, and strengths. I am also excited to help […]

Marcus Jackson

Marcus is passionate about leadership and the intersection of operations and strategy, and is excited to serve the MBA students at WashU. He graduated from the United States Military Academy […]

Amy Johnson

As a career coach, I love partnering with students and alumni who are navigating a career in business. I enjoy developing workshops and programs to enhance the career exploration and […]

Danny Kim, MBA, MA

I’m energized when I develop authentic and real relationships with students. I earned my MBA from WashU, master’s degree from The Ohio State University, and bachelor’s degree in psychology and […]

Jennifer Krupp

From an early age, my aspiration to impart knowledge and facilitate the growth of others has remained unwavering. This intrinsic inclination has seamlessly culminated in my role as a career […]

Seth Looper

Before joining WashU, I designed for clients in the movie and entertainment industry at a boutique architecture firm in New York City then ran a private education consulting business mentoring […]

April McLellan, MEd

I love to support students through curiosity and discovery, trying out developing interests, and through pivots and changes in plan. I believe it is critical to ground decisions in wellness […]

Brittney Meredith

Brittney Meredith is a Career Coach with SMP students at the Olin Business school, and is a graduate of Washington University’s School of Social Work, the Brown School. Receiving her […]

Jen Meyer, MFA

I advise and teach at the Sam Fox School where I lead the professional practices program for the College of Art, and am a lecturer in the College Writing Program. My […]

Diane Miller

Diane Miller, MEd, has worked in education and counseling/coaching for over 25 years serving as Director of College and Career Counseling, teaching business communications courses, coaching, facilitating and developing workshops, […]

Carol Moakley, MSW

I love accompanying and empowering undergraduate and graduate students and alumni on their holistic career development journeys. I enjoy the process of exploration, where we weave together best practices in […]

Michaele Penkoske, MD

I am a physician (internist) who has worked at the Center for Career Engagement as a pre-health career coach for many years, coaching pre-med as well as other pre-health students. […]

Sally Pinckard

Sally Pinckard currently serves as an SMP and Online SMP Career Coach. She has been in various career coaching roles at WashU for 15+ years as an MBA and BSBA […]

Karissa Rusu

Hi there! I have been at WashU since summer 2019 and have absolutely loved my time coaching students within the graduate business programs. In addition to coaching, I provide strategic […]

Mark Schlafly

Mark is a 25-year financial services industry veteran whose distinguished career included serving as the President & CEO of FSC Securities Corporation, which had 220 home office staff and 1300 […]

Burt Sheaffer

Currency Derivative Portfolio Risk Executive with extensive experience in Banking and Financial Services. Lead cross–functional regional trading and structuring teams for a global FX and precious metal derivatives group in […]

Robin Shepard, DSc

I earned my DSc in chemical engineering from WashU in 1996. Since then, I have been an adjunct professor, started two companies, became a faculty advisor for Engineers Without Borders, […]

April Shinell, MSW

I have more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit and higher education administration in addition to serving as an adjunct faculty member for multiple courses at the graduate school […]

Clarissa Smith, MSPT

As a physical therapist with more than 20 years of experience, I can share my firsthand knowledge on being a clinician in the current healthcare environment. As a career coach […]

Kirsten Smith, MLA

I have been at WashU since 2001 in a variety of roles, but at the center of all the work I’ve done is the student experience and supporting students as […]

Sarah Sperry

I worked in the corporate world for more than 10 years as a certified senior human resources professional. I partnered with leadership teams on global business strategy, identifying and developing […]

Arlene Taich, PhD

For nearly two decades I have proudly served as a career strategist for PhD students, postdoctoral appointees and alumni with doctoral degrees in all disciplines. My earlier experience includes 17 […]

Sean Thoma

I am excited to be supporting the students of WashU find their passions and achieve meaningful career opportunities. I received my bachelor’s degree in computer science and worked in different […]

Molly Thompson

Ahmar Ursani, MSW

Most of my professional background is in higher education, where I served as an academic advisor, success coach, program coordinator, instructor, and career counselor. In addition to general career coaching, […]

Zhiling Xu

Zhiling has more than 30 years of experience as an educator in China and has worked with more than 10,000 students, been awarded nationally and internationally for her achievements, published […]

Employer Relations

Molly Burkot

I started my career as an Admissions Counselor at Washington University School of Law. I then took a position at a well-known recruiting firm to further my breadth of experience […]

Greg Hutchings

I have served in both the academic and corporate worlds in senior positions; performing both business development and leadership roles. I have served as Associate Dean & Director of the […]

Sue Kruessel, MA

I’ve enjoyed 25 years of creating connections between talented students, employers and alumni. I’m also the administrator of the Engineering Co-op Program where engineering students have the option to work […]

Di Lu

Deidre Murphy

Lee Pelligreen

I joined the Weston Career Center in 2018 to help drive positive change in career services by collaborating with the team. Prior to that, I was in financial services building […]

Phoebe Richards

(she, her, hers) As a former theatre kid and camp counselor, I love working in a field where I get to help students and alumni with vast skills and interests […]

Center for Career Engagement Leadership

Career Coaches

Employer Relations

Events, Operations & Programs