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 and consistent access and services for all undergraduate, graduate and professional students across schools and a one-stop connection for all employers, alumni and families who want to support WashU students and alumni in their career journeys. She most recently served as the inaugural Executive Director for Texas Career Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin, where she led and engaged in strategic collaborations with the institution’s 15 independent career centers and created a campus-wide culture of collaboration to support its 52,000+ students. At UT Austin, she expanded internship and career exploration opportunities; secured and awarded need-based grants and funding to support students in their career experiences; launched a graduate career and professional development team; developed and fostered new local-to-global industry relationships; and partnered with alumni to serve as mentors and career connections. Gaier is a frequent presenter and contributor in her profession and is a past-president of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE). She has also served as a faculty member for the NACE Management Leadership Institute and the Executive Leadership Symposium and enjoys serving as a mentor to rising career services professionals.
She brings more than 30 years of experience in the field of career development and has previously held leadership roles and faculty appointments at Texas State University and St. Mary’s University. Gaier holds a Master of Arts in Communication Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in English-Communication Arts, both from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.