Dear CMC Community:
We are expanding opportunities for all of our students through a new leadership appointment that will integrate career services, special scholar communities, and related advisory programs.
Thus, I am thrilled to announce the selection of Michelle Chamberlain as the College’s Associate Vice President and Dean for Student Opportunities.
In this capacity, Michelle will lead efforts to expand the range of real-world opportunities, from internships to post-graduate positions, in diverse fields of student interest and across all sectors (public, social, and private). Guiding the staff of the Career Services Center, the team will work to build greater capacity for mentoring, counseling, and advising, with an emphasis on leveraging experts from our outstanding alumni and parent communities. The goal of this work is to engage students in a more exploratory process of matching long-term interests and strengths to meaningful internship and post-graduate opportunities. Michelle will also work to integrate and coordinate resources for the growing CMC scholar communities, which currently include: Conte First Generation American Scholars, Dreier Roundtable Scholars, Kravis Scholars, Interdisciplinary Science (ISS) Scholars, McKenna Scholars, Records Family Game Changer Scholars, Robert Day Scholars, Seaver Scholars, Wagener Family Global Scholars, and any additional scholar programs. In sum, Michelle will serve as the dean in support of career services and each of these foregoing programs.
Since her arrival at CMC in 2008, Michelle has demonstrated the special qualities we need for this exciting new role on our campus. In her role in external relations, she has expanded our community and network of engaged alumni, parents, employers, and partners to increase opportunities for our students. She has also assisted in the personal and professional development of hundreds of Robert Day Scholars, both as students and alumni, discussing, strategizing and encouraging them to take advantage of a wide range of transformative experiences. Most recently, as Interim Executive Director, she worked with the faculty and administration to achieve several important amendments to the Robert Day Scholars Program. She will continue to direct the Robert Day Scholars Program in her expanded capacity.
A first generation college student, Michelle holds degrees from the University of Southern California, Claremont Graduate University, and Southwestern School of Law. Prior to joining CMC, she was an elementary educator and an attorney with O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Regarding the new role, Michelle says she is “very excited to work alongside all CMC students in exploring how their skills and passions can translate into a myriad of real world opportunities and enhance connections to the vast network of experts and experiences that exist on and off-campus.”
We look forward to Michelle’s leadership, collaboration, and service on a broader scale, as we support our students across a wide variety of disciplines and fields.
Please join me in congratulating Michelle on her expanded leadership role for the College.
Very best,
Hiram