Team

Robert has 20 years of experience working in the field of college career engagement. In his current role, Robert provides strategic and operational leadership in support of our mission to increase access to career engagement by all UT Austin students, scholars and alumni, as well as our campus and employer community members.

What do you love most about your work?
Beyond my core interest in helping students explore their options and prepare for their futures, I love our office’s reimagination of career engagement as students and the career landscape evolve. I also love our focus on interdisciplinary and all-sector career engagement as we work to transcend majors and career interests for all students and alumni and spotlight the strengths that come from various backgrounds.

Kyra Duffey is currently a Senior Career Counselor at Texas Career Engagement and has been working in higher education with a focus on career development since 2019. She received her Master of Education degree in Counselor Education with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas Tech University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Stephen F. Austin State University. Currently, Kyra is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and a National Certified Counselor. In Kyra’s role as a Career Counselor, she provides career counseling through a solution-focused therapeutic approach to undergraduate students on various aspects of their career development journey where her focus each appointment is always meeting a student where they are at.  

What do you love most about your work?
Kyra enjoys working in higher education in career services where she is able to get multiple opportunities to counsel students in their career development needs. She finds it a joy helping students along their career development journeys, and helping them arrive at what success looks like for them not just as a college student, but overall, as an individual as well.

Rebecca Valdez is a Career Counselor at Texas Career Engagement and has worked in various college and career development roles. She has received her Master of Education degree in Counselor Education with a focus in Higher Education Counseling from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of North Texas. Rebecca is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate. In her role as a Career Counselor, she provides career counseling through a person-centered therapeutic approach to undergraduate students at whatever stage of their career development journey.

What do you love most about your work?
Rebecca enjoys providing students with an open space that allows them to share their stories and experiences. She loves to learn about students’ interests and values and how those can be explored in terms of aligned career options.

Summer serves as Director of Recruiting Operations and provides strategic direction to build relationships with campus partners, employers, and the community to expand internship and employment opportunities, locally and globally, for students and alumni. Summer is the incoming Director of Professional Development for the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE), is an active member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), and past president of San Antonio Colleges and Universities Career Centers Association (SACUCCA) where she led efforts to help employers build their talent pipelines in the region.

Summer earned an M.S. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Organization, Workforce, and Leadership Studies from Texas State University, and a B.A. degree in English and Communication Arts from St. Mary’s University. Summer is a certified etiquette consultant.

What do you love most about your work?

Summer believes that every student is just one opportunity away from great success, and she takes great pride in serving on a team that helps to create those opportunities every day for the talent at UT.

summer.salazar@austin.utexas.edu

Diane has a long association with higher education and UT Austin in particular. A native of Austin, she earned her bachelor’s degree at the Butler School of Music, and she still performs in choral music programs and enjoys supporting the students there. After receiving graduate degrees in wind conducting and flute performance from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, she was a music professor for 12 years at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania, where she taught band, flute, music theory, music appreciation, chamber music, and conducting. Diane is enjoying her current role as job moderator for HireUTexas, learning from her wonderful colleagues at Career Success, and she looks forward to forging new relationships across the UT campus.

B.M., Music Education, The University of Texas at Austin
M.M., Wind Conducting, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati
D.M.A., Wind Conducting, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati

What do you love most about your work?

Diane specializes in facilitating connections between employers, staff colleagues, and students as she works to assist access to the highest quality jobs and internship opportunities for our students and alumni.

HireUTexas@austin.utexas.edu

Letty works with an amazing team of people who are dedicated and passionate about helping Longhorns find career opportunities and internships. She has an undergraduate background in Sociology and over ten years of experience in social work, as well as in research and social policy. She also holds a graduate degree from The Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin.

What do you love most about your work?
I love being on a team that works to provide students with meaningful opportunities so they can begin their careers with promise.

Angela Nelson is a Recruiting Specialist with the Recruiting Operations team. In this role she advises employers on best practices and creative solutions to navigate recruiting top talent across the entire campus. Angela received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln with the Business Honors Academy and degrees in Management and Marketing. She has spent 5 years working as a corporate recruiter for tech startups in Austin, where her responsibilities included university recruitment and programming for early career associates. Her work brought her to TCE, and she uses her background as an employer to enhance the campus recruiting experience for all parties. She hopes to help students and employers to genuinely connect and identify opportunities to learn and grow together.

What do you love most about your work?

Students and new grads bring a noticeable excitement and energy to an organization! I love connecting our campus with employers in creative ways and playing a role in the journey for everyone to find the right match for them. 

Devin serves as a Recruiting Coordinator for the Recruiting Operations team. He is dedicated to maximizing the potential for success in the students who will be taking on their next career steps. He holds an adoration for building and maintaining successful relationships with employers, ensuring that they will receive top Longhorn talent! His empathetic nature longs for wanting to see his community succeed and will make every effort to see his vision come to fruition.

Devin earned a B.A. in Psychology from the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, TX. He also serves as a UT Staff Council At-Large Representative (District 190). Aside from UT, some of Devin’s hobbies are making and enjoying music, thrift shopping, fashion, and soccer.

What do you love most about your work?

Knowing that I can play such a pivotal role in developing accomplished prospects in the workforce. So many of these students will go on to do extraordinary things. I also love having the opportunity to represent UT with integrity, passion, and grit, making sure employers are certain that they always can always rely on us when providing them our very best!

Bradley has 11+ years of experience working in college and career success with students. At University of Texas at Austin he leads and supports experiential learning, micro-credentialing, internship programs, coordinated industries, and career readiness initiatives for students and professional development opportunities for career services staff. His career started at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston as a College Access Advisor to support the post-secondary plans of students and has taught leadership development to undergraduate students for 5+ years.

Bradley earned his B.B.A. in Management & his M.S. in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education at Texas A&M University and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at Texas A&M University. Hook ’Em!

What do you love most about your work?
Bradley’s passion is centered around giving students the opportunity to acquire, develop, and learn how to articulate their skills to achieve authentic career success. He believes in the value of higher education to support an individual’s life goals and enjoys strengthening the career and professional development ecosystem at University of Texas at Austin. His objective in life is to positively impact the lives of others by helping them reach their full potential through self-reflection, empowerment, and acceptance for who they are.

Dustin has worked in higher education for more than a decade at universities in Nebraska, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and of course, Texas! Throughout his career, Dustin has held various roles related to admissions, housing, and teaching. He fully realized his passion for career services while managing federal internship programs in D.C. from 2015 to 2018. Dustin was excited to join Career Success in Fall 2020, and he has worked on projects related to career competencies, internship courses, and UT’s Home to Texas program, which allows first-year students to return to their hometowns for a summer internship and research experience. He also serves as the campus coordinator for the undergraduate Archer Fellowship Program, in which selected juniors and seniors live, learn, and work in Washington, D.C. for a semester.

What do you love most about your work?

As a first-generation college student, I experienced many unknowns while earning my bachelor’s degree, but I quickly learned the value of participating in career experiences. I find meaning in building connections between students, employers, faculty, staff, and alumni to make career experiences more accessible for all Longhorns. I love the people I gets to work with while contributing to this mission, and appreciate the energy and creativity of UT students.

dustin.harris@austin.utexas.edu

Susan is a UT Austin alum born and raised in College Station, Texas. In 2022, she graduated from the Moody College of Communication with a major in public relations as well as communication and leadership. Throughout her time at UT, she discovered her passion for career education while helping her peers build their portfolios and engaging with the career center herself. Prior to joining Career Success, she honed her communication and marketing skills at a public relations agency in Austin. In her current role, Susan harnesses those skills to promote and help make internships and other valuable career experiences accessible for Longhorns.

What do you love most about your work?

I love that I get to help equip students with the tools they need to embark on their career journeys, all while bringing organization and clarity to the career building process. I’m also excited to work at a place that brought joy and meaning in my life during my undergraduate years.

susan.nam@austin.utexas.edu

Daphne Wolfe is the Assistant Director, Career Management with four years of experience working within Higher Education. She earned her Master of Education from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Arts from Texas A&M University in Political Science. Daphne helps all students at the University of Texas at Austin explore career and major options while taking into consideration a student’s values and how that connects to their career decisions. She strives to make a stressful decision-making process into an enjoyable one by helping students explore different options, learn more about themselves and make informed decisions. Daphne enjoys learning about a student’s story and helps them envision where that story could go in the future.

What do you love most about your work?
Daphne is an advocate for exploration through involvement and she helps students recognize, find, take or create opportunities where they can gain more experience in their areas of interest. She is passionate about students finding a community that makes them feel like they belong and where they can develop skills to grow into the next generation of leaders. Daphne believes that finding that sense of belonging, where you feel most like you, is one of the first steps in exploring what could come next.

Allie is a Career Education Specialist & Program Director with Career Success. With extensive experience in career development and advising, she is passionate about empowering students to explore their interests and achieve their goals. In her role, she leads one-on-one career coaching appointments, creates career development workshops for campus partners, & manages a peer coaching and mentorship student program. She is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences.

What do you love most about your work?
Allie values Career Success’s unique mission of providing access to career education to all students. She enjoys using that framework to learn each student’s story and help them access information to support their success. It is important to her that all students feel encouraged, empowered, and informed to make the best decisions for themselves.

Casey Ptacek is a Career Education Specialist at Career Success. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas State University, and a Master of Science in Higher Education Student Affairs from Fort Hays State University. Casey’s goal as a Career Education Specialist is to help each student find a career path unique to them. She believes every student deserves the opportunity to pursue their interests and passions, even when it might not align with their major. She keeps these ideas at the forefront of her work, as she conducts individual coaching sessions and leads career communities.

What do you love most about your work?
Casey appreciates TCE’s commitment to meet students wherever they are on their career journey and help them grow into career ready professionals. She can relate to the confusion and challenges surrounding career journeys and knows that the resources TCE offers are extremely beneficial in alleviating some of those stressors. She is happy to be in a role that ensures all students have a voice in their journey and are confident in the futures they envision.

Hannah Marie Zurko is a Senior Career Initiatives Coordinator for the Career Education team in Career Success at The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to earning a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy, with a focus in Higher Education, Hannah holds a Bachelors of Arts in Fine Arts from Grinnell College in Iowa. Prior to working in higher education, Hannah has over seven years of experience as a program manager and educator in non-profit arts organizations – including leading nationally recognized teen arts education programs and contributing to Mindpop and Austin Independent School District’s Creative Learning Initiative. Particular areas of focus include utilizing creativity in career development, implementing high impact career initiatives, building collaborative campus-wide partnerships, and managing the life cycle of multiple projects across the career management and counseling teams.

What do you love most about your work?
Hannah enjoys most the opportunity to fostering a welcoming environment for students in spaces that might otherwise feel intimidating, improving access to information and resources, and helping students identify and realize their goals; as everyone deserves to feel valued, realize their goals, and to define their own measure of success.

Aerin is originally from Baltimore, MD, and first came to Austin for her undergraduate studies at UT. She completed her B.A. in sociology & American studies which sparked her interest in social policy. Aerin went on to serve with AmeriCorps as a student support specialist at an Austin area middle school. This experience led her to return to UT Austin in 2021 to pursue dual master’s degrees in social work and public affairs. Since returning to UT, she has complemented her graduate studies with work as a teaching assistant on campus and interning at several local organizations in the social service sector.

What do you love most about your work?
Students want to maximize their time on campus, but it can be challenging finding experiences that fit their needs. I clearly remember the difficulties I had navigating the massive UT bureaucracy as an out-of-state undergraduate student. I love having the opportunity to help ease this process and make experiential learning opportunities more accessible and searchable for students.

Chelsey Jimenez originates from San Antonio, Texas. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hope College and engaged in specialized studies in international relations from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and the Global Institute Open Campus in Berlin. Currently pursuing a master’s degree at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, she is also a program facilitator at Inspire – Women & Gender Studies, UT Austin, and works with the nonprofit sector with a focus on community development. At TCE, she contributes to career education and empowering Longhorns by creating research-based resources that help students secure internships and other career experiences.

What do you love most about your work?

What I love most about my work is contributing to TCE’s commitment to crafting resources that are not just accessible, but also inclusive. It’s fantastic to be part of a team that genuinely cares about tailoring initiatives to fit the unique needs of UT’s student community.

Biyun, a current UT master’s student in Business Analytics, carries a rich academic background with her undergraduate studies in finance and economics and minors in accounting and computer science (also completed at UT). Her journey is marked by an international experience, fueling her passion for celebrating variety and fostering cultural understanding.
Throughout her internships, Biyun has consistently aimed to create a positive impact by integrating her expertise in finance and project management. Her recent endeavors include contributing to the improvement of Colombia’s infrastructure, focusing on significant projects like railroads and the country’s first metro system. She started working at TCE in fall 2023, has been loving it so far, and continues to seek opportunities that allow her to leverage her skills for meaningful impact.

What do you love most about your work?
I really think our programs Home to Texas and the Archer Fellowship Program are very meaningful. For my first undergraduate years, I did not know what I wanted for my career, so I think being able to guide students through this process and help them through trial and error is very rewarding. I also think that the concept of bringing back students to their hometowns and interning there is quite unique, students can figure out if that is something they want to do long-term after graduation and it helps communities grow.

Joel is a dedicated graduate student at UT Austin, currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Moody College of Communication. With a strong commitment to enhancing career development and student engagement, Joel supports the Home to Texas and Archer Fellowship programs through his Career Success position.

As a graduate assistant, Joel is excited to collaborate with the TCE team and to work closely with students to help them achieve their goals. With a focus on providing guidance and support, Joel aims to play a helpful role in empowering students and ensuring the continued success of these programs.

What do you love most about your work?

I am eager to contribute to student success through the programs I work with. Both programs provide undergraduate students with a unique learning opportunity, and I am excited to play a role in supporting them.

Leif Thomas serves as an Administrative Associate at Career Success at The University of Texas at Austin. A recent UT Austin graduate himself, as a student he served as a Resident Assistant in the University Residence Halls, creating an engaging and welcoming community through many events and programs, as well as serving as a guide to connect students to resources on campus. He is excited to have the opportunity to return to campus and continue to support his fellow Longhorns.

What do you love most about your work?

As a Texas Ex, working in the UT community is a rewarding experience. Leif finds satisfaction in supporting students to access programs and resources that will help them to achieve their goals.

Troy has worked in higher education and consulting for the last decade. His career services experience includes assessment, data management, and reporting for large public institutions. He has led efforts to standardized first destination reporting, build assessment culture, and develop processes to deliver and report data insights to stakeholders. Troy works with a variety of departments across the university to help support the career data collection and insights. He is a member of NACE, SoACE and SIOP. He enjoys learning and introducing new technology and insights to better serve our students and employers.

What do you love most about your work?

Troy’s strengths are strategic and storytelling. He enjoys researching and gathering data that will assist his colleagues make informed decisions in a timely fashion. One of his work hobbies is creating dashboards to display insights that are not only engaging but enhances the users experience with the data. He is happiest when he is creating a user interfacing dashboard that tells the story of the UT student’s career outcomes.

troy.autin@austin.utexas.edu

Piper is a Student Career Associate at UT Austin’s Career Success Center and freshman Psychology major from Denton, Texas. In her career, Piper hopes to work with businesses on implementing mental health focuses for employees. A few things Piper loves is nature, running, Taylor Swift, and quality time spent with loved ones. Piper loves supporting her school and attending UT events.

What do you love most about your work? 

I love having the opportunity to be a friendly face right before someone’s interview. I also enjoy being a part of the process of helping people maximize their full potential.

Hareem is a sophomore Economics major from Houston, TX. In his free time, he enjoys reading books, watching movies, and eating his favorite food, pizza. During his time at UT, Hareem is most excited about exploring Austin with his friends.

What do you love most about your work?

I love the people I work with here at TCE! Everyone is very kind, welcoming, and always ready to help. TCE puts students at its core and that is very visible in their programs, initiatives and efforts. It is the perfect place for me to not only work on my professional skills but to also grow as an individual.

Felisitasis a Student Career Associate at UT Austin’s Career Success Center who goes by Feli for short. She loves playing sports, cooking, and spending time with her friends, family and pets.

What do you love most about your work?

I love how friendly each of the staff members are!

Sam is an Economics major from the Dallas area (McKinney Tx) and a current sophomore student. His goal is to minor in business and complete a CS certificate. Outside of school, he enjoys outdoor activities and sports such as ultimate frisbee, IM flag football, and IM volleyball. He is also a big foodie who loves trying different cuisines.

What do you love most about your work?

My job allows me to be actively part of campus, as it works as a bridge connecting students to employers and spread the awareness of such resources to other students on campus. The TCE student associate job also allows me to work on my professional and developmental skills needed for the workplace.