Rebecca Sparrow, director of career services for the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, has been named director of Cornell Career Services (CCS), Edna Dugan, assistant vice president for student and academic services, announced today (Dec. 5).

Sparrow, who has 16 years of professional experience at Cornell, will report to Dugan. Her new position becomes effective Jan. 2, 2003.

"Rebecca brings a breadth of experience and depth of knowledge, both of Cornell and career services, that provide a great framework for her new role at the university," Dugan said. "Rebecca's vision to propel Career Services to national eminence is extremely appealing and appropriate and fits into my goals as well."

Dugan noted that her goals include closer ties to the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education in areas of academic interface, such as advising undergraduate students on such prestigious awards as the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships. To further those ties, Isaac Kramnick, vice provost for undergraduate education, was involved in the search for the new director.

"I was particularly impressed with Rebecca's plans to have career services become more involved with minority student career planning," Kramnick said.

As director, Sparrow will oversee the office that provides career services to undergraduate and graduate students across all seven colleges and collaborates with the seven college career offices, facilitating universitywide and college-specific services. Supervising a staff of 40, she will be responsible for developing strategic plans, resources and technology for the office, overseeing program areas that include: career advising, externships and internships, graduate and professional school advising, pre-med and other health careers, and employment and recruiting.

"I am very excited and honored to have this opportunity to take on the leadership role for Cornell Career Services," Sparrow said. "We have an extraordinary, highly dedicated staff, and we serve extremely talented and interesting students at Cornell. Our goal in CCS is to help students explore their career options and develop the education and skills they'll need to pursue them. Every student at Cornell – regardless of their career goals – can benefit from our services.

"A few of my specific goals as director of career services are to reach more students than we do already, adapt to changing needs of our students and the marketplace, pursue opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in other units across campus and cultivate a positive work environment for our staff," she said

Sparrow was named director of career services for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations in June 1999. Before that, she was assistant dean of students in charge of new student programs, from August 1996 through May 1999, and assistant director for student services, from August 1986 through August 1996.

Sparrow received a bachelor of arts degree from Wake Forest University in 1977 and a master of industrial and labor relations degree from Cornell in 1986.