After a competitive national search, Emory University has selected a candidate close to home to serve as the new head of career and professional development (CPD) at the Pathways Center.
Amanda Long joins Emory on June 10 as assistant vice provost for career and professional development. She is currently the director of employer relations and career outreach at Kennesaw State University.
“Amanda shares Emory College’s commitment to preparing our students for lives of purpose and fulfilling careers after graduation,” says Emory College Dean Barbara Krauthamer. “I am confident she has the vision, creativity and experience to be an innovative partner in that mission.”
In the new assistant vice provost position, Long will oversee and support the people and programs that advance student career development within CPD and across the Pathways enterprise.
A critical part of her role will involve collaboration with employers, the Emory Alumni Association and other university partners to create and assess new ways to educate students about the world of work.
An openness to trying new strategies and tactics to educate students about how to pursue meaningful work that aligns with their and Emory’s values will be essential to that effort.
“Amanda’s track record of scaling student career development and building strong relationships with Atlanta-based employers will help drive our strategy to increase the career readiness of every Emory student,” says Branden Grimmett, vice provost and Emory College associate dean who leads the Pathways Center. “I am thrilled to welcome her to Emory and the Pathways Center leadership team.”
Long plans to build on existing efforts that help undergraduates in various stages of career exploration, with a special emphasis on engaging students early in their college careers to build confidence and reduce anxiety in their decision-making.
Career exploration was the focus of her doctoral dissertation at the University of Georgia, where she earned a doctor of education. She pursued the degree after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in professional counseling, with a planned path to become a licensed professional counselor.
Working as an internship adviser at Kennesaw State University 13 years ago shifted her focus, allowing Long to translate her counseling skills to working with students. Since then, she has worked in higher education, pursuing a passion for helping students unlock their post-graduation potential.
“I am a big proponent of helping students figure out their core skills and all the ways they can apply those strengths so that they are open to all of the options available to them,” Long says. “I am really excited about creating opportunities that allow students to explore careers in low-stakes ways and get a peek at what work might look like at different companies and industries.”
That means growing Pathways Center’s successful Career Treks, organized trips to different cities that leverage an expansive network of alumni and expose undergraduate students to the breadth of careers possible with their liberal arts education.
She also expects to create more formal mentorship programs for undergraduates and Emory alumni or business leaders and build out programs for job shadowing and on-campus resources such as job fairs. Long will also collaborate with Pathways’ leaders in National Scholarships and Fellowships, Experiential Learning, Pre-Health Advising and Undergraduate Research Programs.