Award Recipients

Congratulations to the 2024 Winners!

Learn more about these awards here.

Tribute Award 1

Kate Juhl
University of Maryland-College Park

Kate Juhl is a Senior Program Director at the University of Maryland-College Park, working with the University Career Center & the College of Arts & Humanities for the past 13 years. Previously, Kate worked for 5 years in the Career Services Center at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, VA. Kate's specific passion is championing career development for liberal arts majors. 

Kate's involvement in EACE started in 2012 and has encompassed a variety of committees and leadership roles within the organization including Diversity & Inclusion Committee Co-chair, Site Chair and Programming Co-chair roles with annual conferences, Director of Finance on the EACE Board and, most recently, the Connections Committee. Kate served as Co-chair of the Road Trips Committee from 2017-2018, overseeing its successful merger with the Professional Exchange Committee to form the Connections Committee in 2018-2019, continued on as co-chair of Connections through 2020 and then again from 2021-2023. In 2023-2024, she remained an active member of the Connections Committee. Kate is so appreciative of the numerous leadership opportunities EACE has provided throughout the years, offering excellent ways to expand her skill set through collaboration with supportive and friendly colleagues and mentors throughout the EACE region/organization.

Tribute Award 2

Jennifer Rossi Long
West Chester University

Jennifer Rossi Long is leading the continued efforts of fostering an equity-minded culture of career readiness at West Chester University as Director of the Twardowski Career Development Center.  She has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from WCU, and a master’s degree in counseling in higher education from Widener University.

Outside of WCU, she consults for universities that are looking to modernize and strategically evolve their career services and economic impact.  Jennifer is a Past President of the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers, as well as a contributor to KYW’s “In Depth” podcast on the evolving workforce and the impacts of the pandemic on careers. 

Outstanding Member Award 1

Jennifer Friary
Iona University

 Jennifer Friary began her career journey in 2005, assisting students in discovering careers that resonate with their purpose. At St. John’s University, she specialized in employer relations and spearheaded career development programs for business students. Her transition to Iona University as Director for Career Development in 2022 marked a significant milestone, as she returned to her alma mater to lead the Gerri Ripp Center for Career Development.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Iona University, a Master of Science in Counseling from Pace University, and an Advanced Degree in Instructional Leadership from St. John’s University. Her expertise is complemented by practical certifications, including the Strong Interest Inventory and MBTI practitioner. She has also earned the NACE Career Coaching Intensive Certification.

 In addition to her institutional roles, Jennifer demonstrates leadership through active participation in EACE. Since 2014, she has served on various committees, including co-chairing the Grants and Scholarships Committee from 2022 to 2024, and contributing to the Leadership and Recognition Committee and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee.

 Throughout her career, Jennifer Friary embodies the transformative influence of mentorship, collaboration, and continuous learning. Her steadfast dedication to empowering individuals to achieve their full potential serves as a guiding light for aspiring professionals.

Outstanding Member Award 2

Jodi Schneiderman
Georgetown University

Jodi is an experienced professional specializing in advising students interested in health, sciences, and technology sectors at Georgetown University. With two decades of experience in higher education, she has coached students and alumni with diverse career interests, organized both small and large-scale events, fostered employer relationships, and overseen programs, including Georgetown’s virtual micro-internship program. Before transitioning to higher education, Jodi served as a change management specialist and a therapist. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Scholastica, a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from the University of Minnesota Mankato, and an additional master’s degree in community counseling from the University of Northern Colorado.

Rising Star Award

Samara Reynolds
Virginia Commonwealth University

Samara Reynolds, M.Ed., has been invested in the field of career and student development for nearly 20 years at a diverse set of institutions across Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington. As an Executive Director, she has overseen the VCU Career Services team at Virginia Commonwealth University since 2018 and has been an active committee member, mentor, presenter, writer, and leader within the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE), and Virginia Association of College & Employers (VACE) in recent years. In 2023, she was selected to receive the NACE Mentor of the Year Award. Samara also previously served as an associate editor for the National Career Development Association's (NCDA) Career Convergence web magazine and President of the North Carolina Career Development Association (NCCDA). She holds a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Tech and a Master's in Education in Higher Education Administration from NC State University. 

Excellence in Technology Award

Scott Rappaport
St. Joseph's University

The Career Center at Saint Joseph’s University partnered with the student-run Makeover Monday Tableau Lab to create the First Destination Outcomes Undergraduate and Graduate Dashboards for the University.  This project has been a true collaboration between the Career Center, Academic Faculty, and students who built the dashboard from scratch.  The site has had a major impact on the university as it is used by prospective students, Enrollment Management and Admissions, Academic Departments, alumni, and current students as they seek out what graduates are doing after degree completion. 

The Makeover Monday Tableau Lab began in Fall 2019 and the Career Center developed a partnership in December 2020.  This ongoing partnership has blossomed to the point where current students keep the dashboard up to date and past students who have graduated have used the project to help them land prestigious jobs at Fortune 500 companies and non-profits. The students in the lab were able to create the dashboard and fully visualize how it could be used to accomplish all of the goals for the project to benefit the entire university. 

Additional Team Members:

Erin Obetz, Assistant Director of Employer Engagement
Danielle Fichter, Associate Director of Employer Engagement
Kailey Ryan, Career Counselor
Lisa Hansinger, Associate Director of Counseling & Career Education
Scott Rappaport, Associate Director, Operations & Assessment
Trish Shafer, Executive Director

Excellence in Program Development & Innovation Award

Trish Shafer
St. Joseph's University

Career Day was developed in partnership with faculty from key majors in the College of Arts & Sciences in order to bring career and professional development into the classroom.  To date, we've partnered with Chairs of the Communication Studies, Psychology, and English departments to dedicate a day of classes where a different alumnus from that major is hosted as a guest in the classroom at the start of each class time.  Hosted virtually, the Career Center staff or faculty member moderates an interview every hour with an individual alum on Zoom while all classes who meet during that class time tune into the conversation.  Alumni respond to questions about their career and industry, with students and faculty given time for Q&A at the end.  Interviews are recorded and then housed on the Career Center's YouTube channel for future viewing. Click here for an example from our 2022 English Career Day.  With approximately 750 students participating annually, Career Days have been used to support academic departments’ recruiting efforts and have resulted in collaborative relationships between faculty and the Career Center staff.

Additional Team Members: 

Erin Obetz, Assistant Director of Employer Engagement
Danielle Fichter, Associate Director of Employer Engagement
Kailey Ryan, Career Counselor
Lisa Hansinger, Associate Director of Counseling & Career Education
Scott Rappaport, Associate Director, Operations & Assessment
Trish Shafer, Executive Director

Outstanding Employer Partnership Award 

Alyssa Ayala
Enterprise Mobility

Enterprise is a very active organization on Hofstra’s campus.  Their dedication to providing career opportunities and career development to our students is unmatched. Enterprise's most recent activities for Hofstra students are shown below:

• Last semester Enterprise sponsored our Careernival. They not only sponsored this event, but they were active participants, providing ideas for games during the planning and speaking with students throughout the entire event. They provided guidance on interview skills and internship search.
• Enterprise is also an active participant in our Employers in the Classroom program. By visiting classes, they provide information about careers in management and guidance on how to attain them while also providing actual opportunities for our students.
• This past spring, Enterprise sponsored and attended our Dinner & Networking with Hofstra's Alumnae Leaders, an event where student leaders were able to enjoy a sit-down dinner and learn from the experiences of successful Hofstra alumnae from a variety of backgrounds.
• They invite our students to events such as “Women Breaking Barriers”. This event, and those like it, provide an opportunity for students to hear directly from professionals and to share their fears and concerns about entering the world of work. 

Past Year Award Recipients: