Meet Gail Rooney
Gail Rooney began her job as Director of the
Career Center on August 18, 2003.
The excellent reputation of the University,
the comprehensive services offered by the Career Center, the
respect for former director, Dave Bechtel, and what he did
for the field were just a few of the reasons that new Career
Center Director, Gail Rooney, decided to make the move from
the University of Kansas to Illinois. As she begins her tenure
as director, she offers this advice for students, “Do
what you care about and what you have a passion for. Explore
your diversity and other’s diversity. Have fun and laugh
a lot.”
Dr. Rooney received her Ph.D. in Counseling
Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Her career has taken her to many different educational institutions
including a community college, a small private college, and
large public universities. The positions she has held are
just as varied and have included serving as a faculty member,
vice president for student development, and counselor.
Among some of Dr. Rooney’s accomplishments
in her previous position as Director of University Career
and Employment Services at the University of Kansas was increasing
collaboration among the career services offices on the campus,
initiating a job search class in the College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences, and writing grants for a Peace Corps coordinator
position and an enhanced internship program for students –
these were the first grants funded for career services at
the university.
During her tenure at Briar Cliff College, she
helped to develop a leadership development program for freshmen
through seniors. She said she enjoyed the collaborative efforts
of academic affairs and student affairs on the project. Another
memorable experience for her was being selected by the International/Multicultural
Student Affairs Office for outstanding dedication and leadership
in promoting cultural diversity at Briar Cliff.
Working with students is Dr. Rooney’s favorite part
of her job and even as a director she still spends at least
half a day doing career counseling.
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