DIRECTOR

Robin Mount, Interim Director

Robin has an EdD from the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she conducted cross-cultural research on the role of adult language in influencing children’s cognitive development. She has taught human development at both the college and graduate level, and was Associate Dean for Graduate programs at Wheelock College in Boston before coming to Harvard to serve as the Director of Career Advising for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. She sits on a number of boards including the Hampshire College and Wheelock College Board of Trustees, the Boston Children’s Museum Board of Overseers, and the Wheelock Family Theatre. Robin has two children, one who works for Recycline, an environmentally focused start up, and a second who is currently a student at Harvard College studying climate change and energy. Her husband is an intellectual property lawyer at Ropes and Gray. She lives in Belmont across from the oldest, continuously run farm in New England.

UNDERGRADUATE CAREER SERVICE

Nancy Saunders, Associate Director for Global Outreach and Internships

Nancy joined the Office of Career Services in 1996 as an Assistant Director advising students with career interests in Business. Nancy is Canadian and graduated with a BA in History from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. After graduating from college, Nancy began her career in marketing and communications and entered the MBA program at the University of Toronto. Marriage brought Nancy to Boston where she completed her MBA at Suffolk University while starting her family and working in financial management for non-profit organizations. Today Nancy lives in Needham, Massachusetts with her husband and two children.

Anthony Arcieri, Assistant Director for Careers in Science, Technology, Architecture, and the Environment

Anthony joined OCS in April 2007 with a decade of experience in career development within higher education. In his current position he counsels students, creates and manages programs to meet students' career needs, and develops employer partnerships. Prior to arriving at Harvard, Anthony spent seven years with The George Washington University Career Center, most recently as Assistant Director for Career Education and Employer Development. He is also author of the book Majoring in Success: Building Your Career While Still in College, which is used by high schools and colleges nationwide. Anthony holds a graduate degree in College Counseling and Student Affairs in Higher Education from the University of Delaware, and an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Public Policy from The George Washington University. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife Kate, dog Onie, and cats Bear and Phoebe. He is also author of a (very) limited release cookbook that offers recipes that blend his love of Italian cooking with his wife’s veggie lifestyle. 

Benny Belvin II, Assistant Director for Internship Development

Benny has been working in the fields of career and academic counseling for over six years. He is responsible for delivering a full range of career development services for Harvard students and alumni which includes conducting one-on-one career counseling, resume reviews, and career workshops. Prior to his appointment at Harvard, he served as Assistant Director of Diversity Resources and Career Counseling at Boston College where he developed programs and administered services which focused on the career needs of student of color and international students. He also worked at Babson College as Assistant Director of the Undergraduate Internship Program where he administered a full range of experiential education programs for students and cultivated relationships with employers to increase internship opportunities on campus. Benny holds a BA in History and a M.S.E with a focus on college students counseling.

Bob Cohen, Assistant Director for Careers in Business and Entrepreneurship

Bob provides counseling and self-assessment services to College students and alumni interested in pursuing careers in all fields of “business.” Over the last nine years, Bob has been devoted to helping students understand the diversity of opportunities that exist in the world of work that far surpasses the common perception of “business.” This view of career development was recognized in an article which appeared in The Harvard Magazine. Bob enjoys working with students at any given stage of their career decision-making process and emphasizes the importance of making informed choices that reflect an individual’s instincts and personal definition of success. Bob also provides guidance on graduate business schools. Prior to joining Harvard, Bob was Associate Director of Career Services at the Boston University School of Management. An MBA graduate, Bob considers himself to be a “portfolio careerist” (a term he’s happy to discuss with anyone) with diverse pursuits that include participation in community theater as an actor, director and producer. Bob’s other interests include live theater, travel, and, of course, the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox. 

Loredana George, Assistant Director for Global Outreach and Internship Development

Loredana enjoys counseling and advising students interested in international experience. She works with organizations encouraging them to offer international internship and job opportunities.  In her role, she also develops programs related to international development and delivers workshops related to working abroad. Loredana is also responsible for helping to administer the Weissman International Internship Program, which funds students to go abroad. Prior to joining Harvard in 2002, Loredana worked in various roles including International Sales and Marketing Manager and Training and Development Manager for Abbott Laboratories. She graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in Communications and French and speaks several languages. She loves to travel the world and enjoys interacting with people from all cultures. She has been involved with the Friends of International Program at Harvard and an English Language Program in Lexington, MA. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting and gardening.

Gail Gilmore, Assistant Director for Creative Arts, Journalism, and Nonprofits

Gail helps students work through the process of identifying and pursuing their career goals. In addition to her day job, she’s been known to tread the boards at various Boston theatre companies and has appeared in independent films, television commercials, and print. Growing up in a bi-cultural family in Marshfield, MA has instilled in her a passion for learning about other cultures, and she loves to travel. She is particularly drawn to the beauty and pace of the Caribbean and has visited nearly every island from Turks and Caicos to Grenada. Personal interests include meditation, spending time in places where there are no man-made sounds, and writing. She is a volunteer at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine’s Large Animal Hospital NICU, where she works with newborn foals and crias during foaling season.

PREMEDICAL AND HEALTH CAREER ADVISING

Lee Ann Michelson, Associate Director, Director of Premedical and Health Career Advising

Lee Ann advises Harvard College and GSAS students and alumni regarding career exploration and educational planning related to medicine and other health professions. She is a member of the Harvard College Committee on Advising and Counseling, Harvard Life Sciences Education Committee, Harvard Science Curriculum Implementation Group, and serves as primary consultant to the Harvard community on issues relevant to Harvard premedical students and medical school admissions. Lee Ann was a member of the Harvard College Class of 1977 and, though not as financially successful as her classmate Bill Gates, did graduate. She received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and was an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Lee Ann is married to Alan, a pediatric hematologist from Australia and has two children, Daniel and Sarah, who are currently in college, and one dog, Sophie, a Blenheim Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (long name for a sweet little dog). 

Jeff Glenn, Assistant Director for Premedical and Health Career Advising

Jeff counsels students and alumni interested in various health careers, including in the medical, veterinary, dental, and public health realms. Born and raised in Hawaii, Jeff headed to college on the West Coast. He received BAs in English and Human Biology in 2003 from Stanford and then spent his first two years out of college as an admission counselor in the Undergraduate Admission Office. After a brief year-long stint working in admission for Swarthmore College near Philadelphia, PA, he arrived at Harvard in the Fall of 2006. In addition to this work at OCS, he is a part-time student at the Harvard Ed School in the Mind, Brain & Education program which looks to integrate neuroscience research and educational practice. In his free time, he enjoys paddling for a Hawaiian outrigger canoe club in Salem, MA as well as doing yoga and running. He lives in Davis Square. 

GSAS CAREER SERVICES

Maureen Hilton, Dossier Coordinator

Maureen’s core responsibility is managing Interfolio, the GSAS student Dossier platform. Her other responsibilities include administrative support for the GSAS Counseling Team and spearheading the OCS Events Committee which brings together OCS administrative people to collaborate, share best practices and institute more efficient systems for OCS events. Maureen started working at Harvard in 2001 in the Office of Human Resources Disabilities Claims Unit, and moved to OCS in 2004. She was born and raised on the South Shore, and has been very involved in her home town of Weymouth’s town government: she was an elected Town Meeting Member, sat on the Finance Committee for a number of years, and (her most cherished community service) played a critical leadership role on the 2007 Mayoral election committee, putting in office Weymouth’s first female Mayor.

Laura Malisheski, Assistant Director, Graduate Student and Ph.D. Advising

Laura holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Yale University and completed post-doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania, studying developmental neural mechanisms of learning and memory in sea slugs and zebra finches. Apart from her scientific accomplishments, her experiences as a graduate student (some happy, many miserable) prepared her well to counsel graduate students and Ph.D.s through the challenges of graduate study and into careers, both within and outside academia. In addition to career counseling, Laura coordinates the GSAS team’s extensive line-up of career workshops, special programs, and work groups for graduate students. For professional development, Laura enjoys free-lance writing and presenting workshops at professional meetings on career issues for PhDs. She also runs a small birthday party and face painting business, inspired by her two young boys, Alex and Ben.

Amy Sanford, Assistant Director, Graduate Student and Ph.D. Advising

Amy provides career counseling to PhD students—primarily those interested in transitioning from academia to the business world. She coordinates the Business Management Study Group program at HBS and provides programming specific to the needs of international or domestic students looking to work overseas. In addition she works with undergraduate students interested in the arts. Amy herself has lived in France and Germany and has experience with F-1 visa advising for international students. She has worked in the private sector and at two business schools in the Boston area (where she focused on international student career development). Amy holds a Master's in Educational Psychology and Counseling from Northeastern University and earned her A.B. from Bowdoin College in English Literature and Studio Art. She has been working with OCS on a part time basis for the past two academic years and is thrilled to be expanding her role with the team. In her spare time, Amy enjoys traveling: (current count, 45 different countries), sails competitively out of Marblehead, MA, and exhibits her paintings and crafts locally. 

EXTENSION SCHOOL CAREER SERVICES

Linda Spencer, Assistant Director for Self-Assessment and Harvard Extension School

Linda counsels students and alumni from the Extension School, as well as Harvard College students/ alumni who are undecided. She delivers several workshops for both populations and has been at OCS since 1997. Prior to OCS she had seven years of career development experience in corporate, higher education, and nonprofit organizations, including Right Management Consultants, Simmons College and the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union. Linda received a BA from Dartmouth College, an MEd from Tufts University, and an MSW from Boston College. In her free time, she enjoys traveling (28 countries and counting), yoga, hiking, and spinning. Linda has called the Republic of Cambridgehome for over 25 years; she has two teenagers, a husband and a very spoiled toy poodle.

ON-CAMPUS RECRUITING

Deb Carroll, Director of Employer Relations and On-Campus Recruiting

Deb works with close to 300 employers and over 2,000 students each year, facilitating more than 6,000 on-campus interviews for full-time and summer internship opportunities.  In recent years, the Employer Relations team has also enjoyed planning events in partnership with student groups, including AMBLE, DICA, Project East, and more. Deb earned her BA in English and Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, securing her first job in management and I.T. consulting through Penn’s version of the On-Campus Recruiting Program. However, she soon learned that her true interest was working with college students. She has recently begun a part-time Master’s in Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Deb grew up in the Boston area and loves being near both the mountains (for downhill skiing) and the ocean (for floating). She also enjoys Celeb-reality and Bravo TV, and one day aspires to be an artist prolific enough to participate in Somerville Open Studios.

Matt Jakubowski, On-Campus Recruiting and Employer Relations Staff Assistant

Matthew, along with his colleagues, works with employer partners to develop new and compelling methods to engage with the diversely talented students at Harvard College & GSAS. In addition to consulting on educational programming and networking opportunities, Matthew oversees all financial aspects of the On-Campus Recruiting Program. Before coming to OCS, Matthew served as the Assistant to the Director of Finance for the Pan Mass Challenge. The annual 200-mile bike-a-thon remains the largest single contributor to the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. A food and wine enthusiast, Matthew has extensive experience in the fine dining and hospitality industries in Boston. He indulges his passion for the energy of the restaurant business by consulting on new ventures launched by friends and former colleagues from the industry. When away from the office, Matt can be found hiking in the Green Mountains of Vermont with Guinness (his Black Lab).

FELLOWSHIPS OFFICE

Paul Bohlmann, Associate Director, Director of Fellowships

Paul joined OCS in 1995. With Adonica Lui, he coordinates the office’s fellowships advising and educational programs, as well as the application and selection procedures for dozens of College and national competitions, and he has co-authored several editions of The Harvard College Guide to Grants. A graduate of Washington University, Paul emigrated from St. Louis in 1982 to pursue graduate study in history at Harvard. He was a resident tutor and fellowships advisor at Kirkland House from 1985 until 1990, when he joined the OCS staff as Assistant Director of Fellowships. He enjoys exploring Boston, arguing politics, savoring a good dance mix, and standing up for Simon Cowell, in no particular order. He lives in Boston’s South End, but occasionally misses Ted Drewes and Imo’s.

Tricia Hughes, Coordinator of the Michael Rockefeller Fellowship

After working in the Fellowships Office several years ago, Tricia has returned to OCS as the program coordinator for the Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship. She helps to coordinate the various processes and events involved with this fellowship, to prepare new fellows for their year overseas and support those currently in the field, and to foster community among the former fellows and friends of the Rockefeller Fellowship. Along with a B.A. in history and French and a Master’s degree in theology, Tricia has also completed graduate studies and clinical training in counseling psychology and religion. A Massachusetts native, Tricia lives with her husband in Watertown. 

Adonica Lui, Assistant Director of Fellowships

Adonica joined the Fellowships Office in August 1995. Together with the Fellowships team, she helps students navigate the ups and downs of the fellowships process. She also works closely with faculty and administrators on numerous selection committees. In her life outside of OCS she enjoys gardening, cooking, and travel.  She has family in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. She loves animals, especially doggies and budgies; her four-legged friends seem to enjoy her home-made biscuits. Adonica holds a BA from Lawrence University, an MA from Columbia, and a PhD in Sociology from Harvard.

Gwendolyn Thomas Volmar, Fellowships Assistant

Gwen is responsible for answering the phone, greeting students and managing applications, and generally has the properties of WD-40. Since graduating from UC Berkeley (where she studied Spanish and Arabic), Gwen has taught Fifth-grade and worked at the Harvard School of Public Health. In previous years she has researched neurolinguistics, linguistic disparities in the classroom, and worked with Teachers Without Borders. Gwen followed her husband to Harvard, where he is a GSAS student and LA Angels fan. She is an active volunteer and loves to meet new people with big plans. She boasts better-than-average BINGO skills and has driven the Batmobile.

CLIENT, INFORMATION, AND DATA SERVICES

Susan Vacca, Associate Director for Information and Data

Susan provides leadership in the management of technology and information resources for the office, including the OCS resource collection.  She also oversees the provision of direct service to students and alumni and meets with students on a walk-in basis.  She began at OCS as Librarian in 1983, having previously served as Personnel Officer in the Harvard College Library and as a Library Assistant at Widener Library.  Prior to that, she served in the Public Information and Cultural Affairs Section of the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles.  She concentrated in East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard and has an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science.  She researches and produces 18th century American Colonial dress, participates in colonial reenactments and educational programs, and has restored a Greek revival home in the area.  Other interests are gardening, landscaping, and minor construction projects.  She also has a passion for crossword puzzles and acrostics.

Scott Lachapelle, Client and Resource Services Administrator

Scott oversees the client services and operations functions at OCS. His responsibilities include the management of the counseling calendars, internship databases and on line research resources. Prior to his current role, Scott worked on the Employer Relations Teams at both Harvard and Brown University. Scott also has a background in commercial banking where he served in a variety of roles including marketing, operations management, operations analysis and training and development. Scott graduated magna cum laude from UMASS with a BA in Political Science, with a focus on civil liberties and constitutional law. His current interests in include Eastern philosophy, martial arts, yoga, African drumming and enjoying the vibrant local live music scene. Scott is a member of Amnesty International and the Thoreau Society.

Sarah Murphy, Editorial Assistant

Sarah helps manage OCS communications and marketing efforts. Sarah has been at OCS since 2006 and previously worked at a preschool for the deaf in Manchester, NH. A New Hampshire native, she has a degree in journalism from the University of New Hampshire. When not at OCS, Sarah is often at home baking or traveling north to enjoy the beautiful lakes and mountains of her home state. She enjoys food—talking about it, writing about it, looking at it, and eating it—and luckily she also enjoys running.

Gregg Rosenblum, Technology, Data, and Assessment Administrator

Gregg is the office’s webmaster and technology administrator, and also plays an active role in communications and marketing efforts including print and web publications and listservs. He has an MFA in Creative Writing, and continues to write short fiction and find excuses for not writing a novel. Prior to joining OCS, he served as managing editor of the literary journal Ploughshares, editorial intern at The Atlantic Monthly, and in what seems like a past life, analyst at an investment bank in San Francisco. 

Louise Scanes, Client and Resources Services Staff Assistant

Louise joined the Office of Career Services in July, 2007.  Together with her team, Louise assists students and alumni of Harvard College, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Division of Continuing Education utilize the resources at OCS. Louise is taking courses towards the Masters in Environmental Management program at the Harvard Extension School, and has begun a Green Office Initiative at OCS, a program created by the Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI). So far, Louise has shared her life between two countries: England and America. She completed her BS in Health Science and Nutrition at West Chester University, PA and moved to Massachusetts shortly after. Outside of OCS, Louise can be found flitting amongst nature, hula hooping, reading, writing, and exploring medicinal plants and the healing practices of other cultures.

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Nancy Maidenberg, Counselor Support Assistant

Nancy hails from the Midwest, growing up in Indiana and graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007. Living with Madison’s lake effect for four years as an undergraduate prepared her for a journey to the Northeast to pursue more academic success and professional growth. At OCS, she assists undergraduate counselors with programming and event logistics. Additionally, she covers Interfolio for GSAS students as a back-up for the program’s administrator, Maureen Hilton. In her free time, Nancy is an avid reader, runner, political junkie, ultimate frisbee player, and is perpetually trying to get a sonnet published in The New Yorker under her pen name. 

Ruth Wilson, Interim Department Administrator

Ruth Wilson joined the Office of Career Services in July 2007.  She began working as a Client and Resource Services Assistant for OCS’s front desk/reception area and is currently working as the Assistant to the Department Administrator, where she provides financial and human resources administrative support.  A 2001 alum of Smith College, Ruth caught the travel bug after college and taught English abroad for a few years in Athens, Greece and Paris, France. Prior to joining OCS, Ruth worked as a Playspace Programs Manager at Horizons for Homeless Children in Jamaica Plain. A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Ruth enjoys running, discovering new music, and trying not to lose her subtle southern accent.