We are a diverse group, passionate about student success as it relates to career development and preparedness.
Carol Spector
Director
Email: carol_spector@emerson.edu
Carol oversees the staff and programs at the Career Development Center. She also builds relations with many campus partners, such as Alumni Relations, Emerson Los Angeles, Academic Affairs and other Student Affairs departments. This provides opportunities for the Career Development Center to collaborate with others and provide more resources for students. Carol holds an M.Ed. in Student Affairs from Springfield College and a B.A. in Sociology from Mass College of Liberal Arts.
Employer Engagement Team
Linh T. Nguyen
Assistant Director, Employer Engagement
Email: linh_nguyen@emerson.edu
Linh strategically leads the employer engagement team to develop and maintain strong partnerships across industry areas to support Emersonian’s pursuit of meaningful and impactful careers. Linh earned a M.Ed. in Administration in Higher Education from Suffolk University and a B.S. in Psychology from Worcester State University. Before Emerson, Linh worked in the Career Advising & Professional Development office at M.I.T. and in Residence Life at Lesley University.
Lorelei Riseman
Employer Engagement Manager
Email: lorelei_riseman@emerson.edu
Lorelei engages with new and current locally-based employers strengthening and building relationships to maximize experiential learning and employment opportunities for Emerson students and alums. Lorelei earned a M.S. in Sports Administration from Boston College and a B.A. in Communications from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she was a member of the Commonwealth Honors College.
Your Career Counselors
Your career counselor relates to the group you are a part of: Undergrad, Grad, International, Alumni.
Students and Alumni can connect with a member of our career counseling staff at any time throughout the year, including Winter and Summer Break. Our office is available for appointments Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on any day other than national holidays.
Appointments can be scheduled through Handshake using the “Career Center” tab. Appointments can be scheduled for 30 minutes or 1 hour, depending on the appointment type you select. Our appointment types include Resume & Cover Letter Reviews, Interview Preparation, Job or Internship Search Preparation, and more.
Ryan Smith, M.A. ’00
Associate Director, Undergraduate Career Services
Email: ryan_smith@emerson.edu
Ryan leads initiatives and programming around career education for undergraduate students from their first year on campus to their experiences beyond Emerson. For over 16 years, Ryan has worked in college career centers at schools like Loyola University Chicago, Syracuse University and Tufts University/School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts. Ryan holds a M.A. in Theatre Education from Emerson College and a B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York College at Fredonia.
Emi Bague, M.A. ’24
Associate Director, International Student Career Services
Email: emi_bague@emerson.edu
Emi is the Career Center’s go-to for Emerson’s international students. Through 1:1 appointments, workshops, and collaborative programming, international students can gain professional storytelling skills and confidence to help them reach their career goals. Emi also oversees graduate studies career services. She is co-advisor to Emerson A.S.I.A.; is a founding member of The Renewal Collective, an affinity group for women and gender-expansive people of color at Emerson; and is a member of the President’s Advisory Group for Community and Equity. Emi earned her M.A. in Publishing and Writing at Emerson College and her B.A. in Psychology at Boston University.
Tamar Gaffin-Cahn
Assistant Director, Graduate Career Services
Email: tamar_gaffincahn@emerson.edu
Tamar supports all graduate students in their career development, including resume/cover letter editing, networking and job searching. She’s also a trained professional life coach. Previously, Tamar taught entrepreneurship to high school students at an after-school program and managed an entrepreneurship fellowship program for artists in their mid-20s. Before that, she lived in Pondicherry, India, where she worked at an education social enterprise. She graduated from Binghamton University by creating her own major: International Social Change.
Drew Genova, M.A. ’22
Assistant Director, Career Access & Equity
Email: drew_genova@emerson.edu
Drew is here to engage, develop, and support students in the realm of equity, inclusion, and accessibility through career conversations. Drew facilitates the Intercultural Awareness & Careers course, where we talk about our identities relating to storytelling and how to utilize our identity within our careers. Drew was a professional dancer and choreographer before coming to Emerson. Drew holds a M.A. in Media Design from Emerson, a B.S. in Marketing & Event Management from SCSU, and a A.S. in Business from Nashua Community College.
Erin Fitzgerald
Internship Coordinator
Email: erin.fitzgerald@emerson.edu
Erin assists undergraduate students who are interested in completing an internship for credit. She supports students through all phases of their Undergraduate (UG) Action Plan. Erin holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Vermont and an M.Ed. in Elementary Education (1-6) and Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8) from Lesley University. Before coming to Emerson, Erin worked at Lesley University in the Graduate School of Education for seven years where she helped teachers through all stages of their required internships leading to their initial teaching license.
Marketing & Communication
Juan Vega Rios, B.S. ’21
Marketing & Communication Specialist
Email: juan_vegarios@emerson.edu
Juan assists the whole office in marketing and communicating resources and events that support student and alumni career development. He has expanded the Alumni of Emerson to highlight a wide range of alumni accomplishments and careers. Along with maintaining the social platforms the office had prior, Juan started the office’s TikTok account. Juan earned a B.S. in Public Relations at Emerson College and is currently working towards a M.A. in Strategic Marketing Communication at his undergraduate alma mater.