UF Faculty and Staff Symposium

Faculty and Staff Career Symposium

Experience Reimagined: Supporting Career Readiness in Uncertain Times

January 22 and 29, 2020 
12 – 1:30 p.m. 
Virtual

Given the pandemic’s impact on our economy and the way we work, it is more important than ever for our students to have meaningful career experiences that prepare them for work, citizenship and life after graduation. The UF Faculty and Staff Career Symposium will offer practical strategies for shaping these experiences through curricular and co-curricular choices. Attendees will also learn how to have impactful career conversations with students that propel them toward setting and achieving their professional goals.

Symposium Tracks

The symposium will have two tracks. Each track will identify practical career development applications that faculty and staff can incorporate into their respective functional areas.

• The Practitioner Track will focus on co-curricular best practices that shape meaningful experiences for students throughout their life cycle as a UF Gator.
• The Academic Track will help educators incorporate career development and employability skills into their classrooms through integrative learning and employer engagement.

For the first time in the event’s history, the Career Connections Center will invite faculty and staff from other universities to attend the Faculty and Staff Career Symposium. Join us as we network, learn, and share integrative learning and experiential education best practices with our peers. 

Schedule

January 22, 2021 – 12 – 1:30 p.m.

• 12 – 12:40 p.m. Welcome and Keynote Address

Ian Davidson, Director of Engineering Learning Solutions, Global Supply Chain Innovation & Governance, Procter & Gamble

Ian Davidson serves as the Director of Engineering Learning Systems at Procter and Gamble where he leads the development and delivery of transformative training for fellow engineers at the company. He is an experienced manager with more than 21 years at P&G and is passionate about developing the next generation of P&G leaders. Ian will present ideas about why first- and second-year students should engage with companies early by:

• Describing how getting experience early benefits students especially given the current climate and competitive nature of the job market
• Sharing what P&G looks for in young talent and how they identify potential
• Speaking to the ways students who engage early are more prepared and career ready

Zoom Registration

• 12:45 – 1:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • Academic Track – Advancing Career Readiness Through Course Assignments
    • Nicole Yucht, M.A. – Director for Integrated Partnerships, Career Connections Center, University of Florida
    • Panel featuring UF faculty
      • Eric C. Esterline, Director of Sports Journalism and Communications, College of Journalism and Communications, University of FloridaEric teaches a wide range of courses that include Sports Communication, Multimedia Sports Reporting, Sport Information Management as well as the Sports Capstone course. Before coming to Gainesville in 2015 he worked in sports radio and journalism in Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Washington D.C. and was a freelance producer for FoxSports. Esterline has a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication and Education from Butler University and a master’s degree from Indiana University in Informatics and New Media.
      • Danielle Shu, Academic advisor for the Food and Resource Economics department, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of FloridaIn addition to her staff duties as the academic advisor and success coach for students in the major, Danielle instructors the department’s 1-credit seminar, Food, and Resource Economics Seminar. Within the course, students (typically 1st-semester transfer students) explore potential careers and develop a foundational base of professional development at the University of Florida. Danielle is currently expanding her horizons in student affairs in the UF Master’s in Education – Student Personnel in Higher Education program after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the UF Heavener School of Business in 2017. 
      • Dr. Katie Basinger, Undergraduate Coordinator and Lecturer of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of FloridaKatie teaches various courses, including Senior Design in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Economics, part of the project management certificate. She is the undergraduate program coordinator for the ISE department and co-chair of the committee working on completing an ISE curriculum overhaul. Her research focuses on defining best practices for teaching Gen Z engineering students via active learning online lectures. She moved to Gainesville in 2018 after graduating with her BS, MIE, and Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in Industrial Engineering.

Zoom Registration

• Practitioner Track – Leading Impactful Career Conversations with Students
  • Sara Gould, M.A., GCDF, CCSP – Senior Assistant Director for Career Engagement, Career Connections Center, University of Florida

Zoom Registration

• Cross-Listed – Building Their Own Experiences: Supporting Students in Re-imagining Experiential Learning
• Andie Cochran, M.B.A, CCSP – Associate Director for Integrated Partnerships, Career Connections Center, University of Florida
• Matthew Paul Cowley, M.Ed., CMCS – Associate Director for Integrated Partnerships, Career Connections Center, University of Florida

Zoom Registration

January 29, 2021 – 12 – 1:30 p.m.

• 12 – 12:40 p.m. Welcome and Keynote Address

Timothy Harding, Associate Dean of Career Development and Engagement, Student Affairs, University of Tampa

Tim Harding serves as the Associate Dean of Career Development and Engagement at the University of Tampa where he is facilitating an institution-wide competency development initiative aimed to focused on academic achievement, career readiness, and life preparedness. Tim has been in higher education for almost 30 years and actively contributes to the career services and talent acquisition professions through the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and the Southern Association of Colleges (SoACE) and Employers. He is a co-founder of the annual Competency Symposium and currently co-chairs the NACE Career Readiness Competencies Task Force. He is a former president of SoACE and served on the NACE Board of Directors.

Zoom Registration

• 12:45 – 1:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • Academic Track – Infusing Instruction Time with Industry Education
    • Andie Cochran, M.B.A, CCSP – Associate Director for Integrated Partnerships, Career Connections Center, University of Florida
    • Panel featuring employers and faculty
      • Bob DeHoff, Infotech, Inc. – Bob DeHoff is the Associate Vice President for Talent, Strategy and Communications at Infotech, where he drives strategic alignment, cultivates a spirit of innovation, and leads collaboration with the Gainesville innovation and academic communities.  Before shifting into a strategic role Bob worked 30+ years contributing to and leading software engineering teams. He now mentors software engineers and advises teams on technology strategy.  Bob enjoys staying healthy and making photographs.
    • Bryan Wheeler, Sanford Health – Bryan is a graduate of the University of South Dakota. After college he took a job working as a corporate recruiter working with some of the largest accounting firms in the U.S.  During that time, he found a passion for helping students find a job they would love. About 16 months ago he joined Sanford Health, one of the largest not-for-profit health care companies with over 40,000 employees in 26 states and 11 different countries.  He now recruits for all positions within health care and has led to the connection with UF.  His favorite parts of the job are running workshops with students on resume building, LinkedIn personal branding, interview preparation, and the job search process.  One of the best moments of his career was helping Sanford Health earn a nomination for the 2020 Career Influencer Award from the University of Florida.
    • Annabelle Juin, Populous – Annabelle graduated from the University of Florida in 2017 and moved to Minneapolis to work at the University of Minnesota in their athletic department. There, she helped with the renovation and construction of a $166 million dollar project for new basketball and football practice facilities, academic centers, and leadership center. Upon graduating with a masters from UF in the summer of 2018, she joined the 2019 Final Four Local Organizing Committee as an Operations Coordinator and worked side by side with the NCAA to host the 2019 Final Four. At the conclusion of that contract, she accepted a position with S.A.F.E. Management at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where she oversaw a staff of 1500 part-time security employees for all major events. She joined Populous in the winter of 2020 and is currently part of a team of 4 who plans, organizes, and operates major events around the entire world.
    • Bruce Carroll, University of Florida – Bruce Carroll is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UF and Undergraduate Coordinator for the B.S. programs in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering.  His research background is in experimental aerodynamics and he has extensive experience in academic advising, curriculum development, and ABET accreditation processes.  He teaches courses in fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, experimental aerodynamics, and compressible flow.

Zoom Registration

• Practitioner Track – Helping Students Grow Their Network
  • Cassidy Gourley, M.A. – Manager for Integrated Partnerships, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Career Connections Center, University of Florida
  • David Adams, M.A. – Manager for Integrated Partnerships, College of Journalism and Communications, Career Connections Center, University of Florida

Zoom Registration

• Cross-Listed – Navigating Uncertain Times: Trends in Employment & Experiential Learning
• Erica Betz, M.A., CCSP – Associate Director for Recruitment Relations, Career Connections Center, University of Florida
• Allie Simon, M.Ed, Ed.S., CCSP – Associate Director for Career Engagement, Career Connections Center, University of Florida

Zoom Registration

Register for the Symposium