Meet the 2024 Faculty Career Champions

On September 11, 2024, university, faculty, and Career & Professional Development (CPD) leaders gathered at the Burwell Center for Career Achievement for the 8th annual Faculty Career Champions award to recognize this year’s faculty nominees for outstanding student mentorship. 137 individual faculty members were nominated this year, of them, Dr Keren Dali, an associate professor at the Morgridge College of Education, Research Methods & Information Science Dept, Dr. Elizabeth Rachel Escobedo of the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, Department of History, and Chinn Wang, Teaching Professor, College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, School of Art & Art History were presented with awards. 

Speaking on behalf of university leadership, DU Chancellor Dr. Jeremy Haefner commended the awardees for their outstanding effort in mentoring students across their fields, citing the work done by each nominee as “one of the best examples of our 4D experience.” “For every conversation, for every moment of advice, for all the ways you bring career readiness, to make that part of the academic program is so important, your enthusiasm for addressing students’ needs not just in the classroom, but in the career space means so much…for all you do for your students, thank you, it’s recognized by all of us at the university” said Haefner.  

Liz Lierman, Assistant Vice Chancellor of CPD, echoed this sentiment, pointing to the universality of DU’s robust career preparedness program. “Thanks to the support of their faculty and career teams, 93.5% of students from the last 3 graduating classes reported that their major prepared them or helped them prepare for their post-graduate job” said Lierman. “…this result echoes this year’s findings from the National Association of Colleges & Employers that graduates from recent classes characterize their institutions as having prepared them well for the next step in their careers.”  

Now in its 8th year, the Faculty Career Champion award is symbolic of the ways DU faculty foster the 4D Experience for students and help them pursue careers and lives of purpose. The Faculty Career Champion is a student nominated award that celebrates outstanding faculty mentors and tells the compelling story of how DU faculty impact students’ career and professional development goals. It is presented by the entirety of DU Career Services (Career and Professional Development; Daniels Career Services; Korbel Office for Career & Professional Development; Graduate School for Social Work Career Services; in addition to the Sturm College of Law Career Development Office), after an exhaustive selection process. 

Dr. Keren Dali, Morgridge College of Education — Award Recipient

Dr. Elizabeth Rachel Escobedo, College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences — Award Recipient

Professor Chinn Wang, College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences — Award Recpient