July 19 : Spelman's Career Pathways Initiative Wins Outstanding Leadership Award

After five years of diverse programming around a theme of melding careers and the curriculum, Spelman's Career Pathways Initiative grant, funded by United Negro College Fund (UNCF), has concluded…but not before winning a well-deserved honor.

To recognize the success of Spelman's CPI, the UNCF recently awarded the program an "Outstanding Leadership" award for its focus on "faculty torchbearers."

Conceived with an eye towards the imperatives of the millennial workforce, the initiative is designed to infuse the curriculum with the skills and knowledge that will give our students a competitive edge in securing graduate school placements and careers.

Directed by Tinaz Pavri, Ph.D., Division chair of social sciences and education, and co-directed by Harold Bell, director of the Career Planning and Development, CPI ensures that faculty, staff and administrators work together as a team to achieve goals. The grant enabled the creation of dozens of courses or modules in data science, design thinking, digital humanities, geographic information systems (GIS), and a number of courses that meld career and discipline. The program, coordinated by LaChun Tiller with evaluations conducted by a team led by Danielle Dickens, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, has also created faculty “career counselors” to advise students on options for their majors post-Spelman and student internship programs.

"CPI recognized that at the heart of Spelman's success is its faculty, and made them the core of its grant," said Dr. Pavri. Some of CPI's extensive work will be extended through Spelman's new Spelman Pathways QEP which focuses on "life and career excellence."

It’s a great time to work at Spelman College! With a variety of perks and benefits for staff including tuition waivers, health and wellness resources and a beautiful, historic campus, Spelman is more than a place to work. To learn more about the jobs below, or to apply, visit Spelman.edu.

Maintenance Technician
Floor Technician
Housekeeper
Groundskeeper
Campus Driver and Expeditor
AD Digital Developer III
eSpelman Operations Support Specialist
Administrative Assistant for eSpelman Operations
eSpelman Database Assistant
Director of Counseling Services
Development Writer-Institutional Advancement
Registered Nurse (10 months)

Sociologist, professor and author Celeste Watkins-Hayes, Ph.D., C’96, has been named interim dean of the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy effective July 19, 2022.

"I am truly honored to serve as interim dean of the Ford School of Public Policy," said Dr. Watkins-Hayes. "In this important moment of transition, I look forward to working closely with our world-class faculty, staff, students, university community, and external partners to continue to further the Ford School's core mission of advancing the public good."

Prior to the appointment, Dr. Watkins-Hayes served as the associate dean for academic affairs, and currently serves as University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, Jean E. Fairfax Collegiate Professor of Public Policy, and professor of sociology (LSA). In addition, she is the founding director of the Ford School's Center for Racial Justice and a research and community impact fellow with the Provost's Anti-Racism Collaborative.

During her time at Spelman, the Michigan native studied sociology, economics, and education. Before graduating, she also served as student trustee on the Spelman College Board of Trustees from 1993 to 1996.

Dr. Watkins-Hayes' appointment will run until a permanent dean is appointed. She succeeds Michael S. Barr, who stepped down to serve as governor and vice chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve.