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At the NACE Annual Conference in New Orleans this June, Kristin Walker from Clemson University was presented with the Spelman Johnson Rising Star Award. This award, which is accompanied by a monetary prize and trophy, recognizes one individual each year who has demonstrated strong leadership potential and has contributed to both the career services profession and NACE.
According to a Clemson media release by Philip Sikes, in addition to the NACE award, “Walker has received numerous accolades for her work as CCPD’s associate director for analytics and initiatives. She received the Women in Higher Education Achievement Award from the National Panhellenic Council in September 2017, was elected to the board for the Southern Association of College Student Affairs in November and was named one of the employees of the year in the Division of Student Affairs in December. In February 2018, she received an Award for Excellence from the Clemson University board of trustees.”
This year has been a humbling one I will cherish. To be recognized by NACE absolutely took me by surprise. You don’t get involved to be recognized; you get involved in hopes of giving back and making a difference that will ultimately benefit all students. I only hope to be able to continue to give back to our profession.
I have the best colleagues within CCPD, Academic Affairs and Student Affairs,” she said. “What is really catching national attention is how departments at Clemson are embracing the core competencies and integrating them into the already great work being done. This award is about Clemson leading the conversation and being a rising star.
Kristin played an integral role in the development of a symposium focused on taking a career competency initiative institution-wide. In 2017, there were 60 institutions and organizations in attendance with over 180 individual attendees, and in its second year over 90 institutions and organizations attended with over 220 individual attendees. The Competency Symposium Planning Team is excited to host this year’s symposium at The Ohio State University on May 20 and 21, 2019. In June 2017, Kristin helped facilitate an abbreviated program for attendees of the annual Florida Association of Colleges and Employers Conference and will be co-presenting a pre-conference session at SoACE with Tim Harding.
In August 2018, Kristin transitioned from her role as the Associate Director of Analytics and Initiatives to the Director of Assessment and supporting Clemson University’s division of student affairs and its 22 departments. Kristin has 15 years of experience in education, career services, and fraternity/sorority life. She earned her B.S. in English from Radford University, and her M.Ed. in Counselor Education and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Clemson University. Before focusing on assessment, she worked in Clemson’s #1 2018 Princeton Review Ranked, Center for Career and Professional Development where she coordinated its competency initiative and assessment while overseeing the areas of graduate programs, off-campus internships, and social media. Kristin teaches in Clemson’s masters and doctoral programs and has been a volunteer and board member of her sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau. She currently serves as the Vice President for Marketing and Outreach for SACSA and as the Knowledge Group Chair for Assessment and Data Analytics for SoACE. Through her professional and volunteer roles, Kristin has traveled to and worked with students at over 40 college campuses. Her research interests include career development, fraternity/sorority life, and STEM education. She has co-authored a chapter in the book Multiculturalism on Campus: Theory, Models, and Practices for Understanding Diversity and Creating Inclusion, and is co-editing a volume of New Directions in Student Services on career transitions for student affairs practitioners.
