As the Dean of the Center for Career Education, Kavita holds overall responsibility for the work of CCE! She works closely with the entire staff at the Center to provide career programs and services that are tailored to the needs of Columbia students, alumni, and employers interested in hiring them. Born in London, England, Kavita moved to New York in 2002 for a couple of years, and years later, is still here. Educated at Southampton University and the London School of Economics and Political Science, Kavita began her career working for Voluntary Service Overseas, an international development agency. She moved to the US after working for the University of London Careers Service for seven years advising students at Goldsmith’s College, University College London, and King’s College London. She also established and ran the Graduate Careers Shop, a service designed to help graduates develop or change their career paths.

Kavita lives in Brooklyn and, when not at Columbia, can be found keeping up with her two children enjoying the cafes, restaurants, and movie theatres of her Carroll Gardens neighborhood. She is also only too happy to talk football (soccer) and her recent trip to the World Cup Finals in South Africa with just about anyone who will listen.

As the Senior Associate Director of Administration and Planning, Beth contributes to the success of CCE’s programming, outreach, and counseling initiatives through management of the Center’s administrative, financial, operational, and human resources. In her role Beth leads the Center’s administration of the University’s Work Exemption Program coordinating the application process and committee review. Her work with Columbia students and alumni also includes providing walk-in counseling and serving on the advisory board for the Columbia Student Enterprise program, a role for which she was recognized in 2010 by receiving an Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs Mentor Appreciation Award.

Beth joined the CCE team in 2007 after working for seven years in the Undergraduate Admissions Office at NYU. She continues her enrollment management work by serving as an adjunct committee member for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Columbia. Beth holds an M.A. in Humanities and Social Thought from NYU and is a graduate of the Columbia Bartending Agency’s School of Mixology.

David joined CCE in the summer of 2010 as the Assistant Director of Research and Technology. As the Associate Director of Research and Technology, he leverages IT processes, applications, and data to support and enhance the mission of CCE. Prior to this role at CCE, David spent over nine years managing web marketing and IT at New York University. He also has a Master's Degree in Urban Planning & Policy, and can hold forth for quite some time on the subject.

Elizabeth is on the administration and planning team at CCE, where she has worked since 2007. She works with finance, human resources, and operations. She also manages the Alumni & Parent Internship Fund program, which provides grants to Columbia College students to pursue unpaid summer internships. Elizabeth loves living in New York City and biking, walking, and exploring Central Park.

Andrea brings her diverse background in counseling within higher education to her current role as Associate Director of Undergraduate Career Development at the Center for Career Education at Columbia University. After beginning her career in the counseling centers at both Kingsborough Community College and Saint Michael Academy, Andrea transitioned to the world of career services gaining experience at both Saint Francis College and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Prior to joining CCE, Andrea was with the Office of Career Services at Fordham University where she served as the Associate Director for six years and counseled both undergraduate students and alumni.

Andrea completed her B.A. in Psychology at George Washington University and her M.S. in Education with a specialization in counseling from Fordham University where she also received a professional diploma and New York City and State certification in K-12 guidance counseling. Andrea is a member of a number of professional organizations including the Career Development Specialist Network (CDSN) and Metropolitan New York College Career Planning Officer’s Association (MNYCCPOA.) She is also certified in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator assessment tool. Her goal in counseling is to empower her clients through leveraging their strengths and unique characteristics. Andrea is passionate about food, fashion, boogie boarding with her eleven nieces and nephews, and interior design.

Gerald is a passionate career counselor with a strong interest in working with students to develop strategic career plans. His goal is to help students to identify their interests and values and gain essential skills in managing their careers throughout their lifetimes. Prior to joining CCE, Gerald worked with undergraduate engineering and design students at Wentworth Institute of Technology as a cooperative education advisor and with graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College School of Public Policy and Management as a career counselor. Gerald received his master's degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in Human Development at SUNY Binghamton. He is an active member of the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE). He is also certified in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator assessment tool.

Gerald is a Hong Kong native and worked at a government agency before transitioning to the US. He speaks fluent Cantonese and can write Chinese. He also grew up in a restaurant environment where he developed his passion for food and cooking.

Don joined the Center for Career Education team in January, 2011 as the Assistant Director of Alumni Career Development. As a lifelong consultant, he brings a wide variety of personal job experience in almost every sector of the economy and this naturally led him into Career Counseling. As a Career Counselor, Don has worked previously in the academic sector in the Career Centers of Brooklyn College and the College of Staten Island; in the not for profit world in the Career Services Department of the Metropolitan Council; and in the private sector as a Career Consultant and Education Advisor for JPMorgan Chase.

Don holds a B.A. in Economics from Brooklyn College and an M.A. in Sociology from York University in Toronto. He also has a Certificate in Adult Career Planning and Development from NYU. Don grew up and still lives in Brooklyn, so he has plenty of time on the long Subway commute to read at least a book a week and catch up on all his favorite teams in the sports section - the Mets, Giants, Rangers, Knicks and West Ham United.

Heather joined the Center for Career Education in 2007, making her own career change from the corporate sector. Her background includes spending the previous six years at a bulge-bracket investment bank, specializing in Campus Recruiting, Training and Development, and Talent Management specifically for junior populations at the firm (interns, analysts and associates). Realizing her passion for working with students, she made the decision to pursue her Master of Arts in Higher Education and Student Development at Teachers College, Columbia University. Since she has made the transition to CCE, she spends her time working closely with students, employers, and alumni building dynamic international and domestic experiential opportunities for the Columbia community.

In her free time, Heather dreams about scuba diving the globe after getting certified in 2007 and pretending to be an expert foodie, eating her way around the newest and most diverse restaurants in NYC and specifically Brooklyn, her new home. Her allegiances will always be to Queens, the borough where she grew up and, most specifically to the New York Mets, her home team and her first employer (working their events and games when she was 15!)

In the summer of 2011, Jill joined the Center for Career Education at Columbia University. Her role involves managing the CEO Shanghai, CEO Beijing, STEP and CAE programs. She has a sincere passion for internship experiences since there are benefits for both students and employers.

Jill completed a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from Miami University and a Masters of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs at the University of South Carolina. An advocate for international internships, Jill completed an internship at Ming Chuan University in Taoyuan, Taiwan where she worked directly with incoming and outgoing study abroad students in the International Education and Exchange Division. In 2009, she interned at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, India, where she supported local students who participated in Duke University’s Talented Identification Program. Prior to joining CCE, she spent time traveling to Asia to meet with employers and advising students on internship opportunities who were part of the Georgia Institute of Technology Work Abroad Program. She is actively involved in NAFSA (Association for International Educators) and looks forward to continuing to expand her understanding of internship advisement and development.

Patrick, along with the Employer & Alumni Relations team, works to develop and maintain relationships with employer partners. He seeks to bring new employers to campus, primarily focusing on those firms and industries in which students have expressed a special interest. With the many services available to employers through CCE, Patrick works with these new partners to create a tailored approach to recruiting at Columbia.

Patrick earned his bachelor’s degree in Operations Research and Financial Engineering in 2002. Following two years in finance as an analyst at BlackRock, he joined the Employer and Alumni Relations team. During his time working at CCE he has completed a master’s degree in Public Administration at the School of International and Public Affairs. Additionally, Patrick has experience working with start-up non-profits through his role as a board member with the Flip Flop Foundation.

Vernon Gibbs joined the Center for Career Education in April 2010, but he is no stranger to Columbia University. As an alumnus of the College, Class of 2000, he has always maintained ties to the school through classmates and his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. He is excited to be back at his alma mater helping both students and alums in their careers. As the Outreach Specialist, Vernon focuses on a variety of industries including Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, and Government, finding companies in these fields and helping them use CCE as a tool for their various recruiting needs.
Prior to working at Columbia, Vernon spent nearly 10 years in both marketing and sales. After two years as an Account Executive for Paychex Payroll Services and three years in Product Education at In Demand Pay-Per-View, he spent four and a half years at the National Basketball Association as Coordinator and then a Manager for NBA TV and NBA League Pass. In his free time, Vernon enjoys playing video games, reading comics, and making custom action figures for toy enthusiasts.

Navid works on the Employer Relations team, specifically working for the On-Campus Recruiting program involving on-campus interviews, employer information sessions and presentations, industry showcases, career fairs, and other programs to assist employers in recruiting top Columbia talent. Navid graduated from The University of North Texas and interned in recruiting for Southwest Airlines before coming to CCE. Navid enjoys the outdoors, volunteering, traveling, and exploring the city in his free time.

Malla supports all of the teams with the Center by executing a comprehensive plan that creates opportunities to foster lifelong connections between alumni and students through career development- related activities. She actively solicits alumni volunteers for the Center’s events and programs and partners with the Employer Outreach team to identify full-time and internship opportunities recommended by alumni. She enjoys the opportunity to attend a variety of alumni events to increase the awareness of how alumni can connect with students for career development support.

Prior to working at CCE, she was the founder and owner of a training and consulting company, New Designs for Life, that increased the entrepreneurial mindset of attendees. Her company received a New York City Small Business Award of the Year by Mayor M. Bloomberg and has been featured in the New York Times and on Martha Stewart radio. She is also active in the National Association of African-American Human Resources professionals and has Senior Professional certification in Human Resources.