Meet the Career Center

The Career Center staff is here to help undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni develop and implement their short and long-term career plans. We have experienced Career Advisors who specialize in different disciplines, offering sound career advice and professional connections relevant to their specialty. Whether you're still deciding on a major, trying to identify professional career paths related to your major, or ready to start your job/internship search, be sure to connect with us early and often! 

Career Advising Team

Chris

Meet me in CareerLab Mondays, 11am - 4pm in 101B DeVos

Chris Babbitt

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Chris is a Career Advisor who works with students, faculty, and employers in the Seymour & Esther Padnos College of Engineering & Computing, mathematics, statistics, and physics departments.

Career Community: STEM

people

Meet me in CareerLab on Wednesdays, 11am - 4pm in 101B DEV

Rachel Becklin

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Rachel is a Career Advisor and Internship Specialist, helping students and faculty with internship programming and initiatives. She also serves students in psychology, dance, theatre, and music. 

Career Community: Human & Public Service | Communication & the Arts

headshot of Katie Cwiakala

Meet me in CareerLab on Wednesdays, 11am - 4pm in 200 STU

Katie Cwiakala

Office Address: 101B DEV
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Katie is a Career Advisor and works with students, faculty, and employers in the Seidman College of Business, as well as HTM and Sport Management. She also leads the Career Center's peer-to-peer Career Connector program.

Career Community: Business & Entrepreneurship 

Troy

Troy Farley

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Troy is the Director of the Career Center and advises students and alumni in the MBA, MST, and MSA programs.


Stephanie

Meet me in CareerLab Fridays, 11am - 4pm in 200 STU

Stephanie Jensen

Office Address: 200 Student Services
Phone: (616) 331-3311
Email: [email protected]

Stephanie is a Career Advisor who works with students, faculty, and employers in the natural and hard sciences and health related programs. 

Career Community: Healthcare | STEM (physical science)

Lisa k

Meet me in CareerLab Mondays, 11am - 4pm in 200 STU

Lisa Knapp

Office Address: 200 Student Services
Phone: (616) 331-3311
Email: [email protected]

Lisa is a Career Advisor who works with students, faculty, and employers in the communications, humanities, and liberal studies programs. She also works closely with our first and second year students as they begin exploring the world of work. 

Career Community: Communication & the Arts | Education


Dayna Philips

Meet me in CareerLab Thursdays, 11am - 4pm in 101B DEV

Dayna Phillips

Office Address: 200 Student Services
Phone: (616) 331-3311
Email: [email protected]

Dayna works with students in the Human and Public Service Career Community. She also specializes in working with exploratory students.

Career Community: Human & Public Service

 

Lori Staggs headshot

Meet me in CareerLab Tuesdays, 11am - 4pm in 101B DeVos

Lori Staggs

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Lori is a Career Advisor and works with students, faculty, and employers in the Seidman College of Business, as well as HTM and Sport Management.

Career Community: Business & Entrepreneurship 


Meghan Veltri headshot

Meet me in CareerLab Tuesdays, 11am - 4pm in 200 STU

Meghan Veltri

Office Address: 200 Student Services
Phone: (616) 331-3311
Email: [email protected]

Meghan is a career advisor who works with students, faculty, and staff in the health and science programs. She also helps students parallel plan as they seek entrance into competitive programs. 

Career Community: Healthcare


Employer Relations

Cindy Brown headshot

Cindy Brown

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Cindy is the Employer Development Manager and works with our employer partners to connect to GVSU, recruiting students and alumni for full-time jobs and internships.

Kristie Scanlon headshot

Kristie Scanlon

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Kristie is the Employer Relations Coordinator and specializes in helping employers create and enhance internship programs for GVSU students.

Marketing, Technology, Adult and Alumni

Grace Pushman headshot

Grace Joaquin

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: p[email protected]u

Grace is an Assistant Director who evaluates the technology needs for the Career Center. She also provides transparency and informs the work the Career Center does through data analytics.

megan riksen headshot

Megan Riksen

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Megan is an Assistant Director who leads the marketing and communication efforts for the Career Center.

dani lauer

Dani Lauer

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Dani is the Assistant Director/Coordinator of Adult and Alumni Career Resources who works collaboratively with the Alumni Office and Office of Adult and Continuing Studies to curate, build and maintain career resources and initiatives for adult learners and GVSU alumni.


Support and Operations


Sonya Barrett headshot

Sonya Barrett

Office Address: 200 STU
Phone: (616) 331-3311
Email: [email protected]

Sonya manages the front desk of our Allendale office, as well as works with the training and development of our Student Assistants.

Joy Hecht headshot

Joy Hecht

Office Address: 101B DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6708
Email: [email protected]

Joy manages the front desk of our DeVos office as well as works with the training and development of our Student Assistants.


photo of all student staff in front of fountain

Student Staff

You'll find Career Center Student Assistants covering our Allendale and DeVos offices' front desk; scheduling appointments, checking in students, and helping the office run smoothly.

 

Career Center Career Connectors can be found out and about around campus; marketing our events, and sharing career advice to resident halls and student groups! You'll also find our Career Connectors running our peer-advising space, CareerLab.




Page last modified May 23, 2023