Career Preparation Center director wins Rising Star Award

December 20, 2005

Justin Finnerty, Director of the Career Preparation Center at the Polytechnic campus, was awarded the Rising Star Award by the Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers (MPACE). The award, which recognizes MPACE members who demonstrate outstanding service, is given to one college or university member and one employer member who have held membership in the organization for less than five years.<separator></separator>"Justin really stood out for us," says Deborah Dobbs, Executive Director of MPACE. "He's done a number of continuing education programs for our members, and he served co-chair of the entertainment committee at our annual conference this year. He's gone over and above. We hope Justin is with MPACE for many years to come."<separator></separator>Finnerty is the Mountain South Regional Director for MPACE and is a board member. In August 2005, he coordinated two employer roundtable discussions on the future of career services and college recruiting. He also coordinated three diversity roundtable discussions held at ASU's Tempe campus, the University of Colorado-Boulder and Goldman Sachs in Utah.<separator></separator>"We are delighted to see Justin receive this recognition," says Gary McGrath, Dean of Student Affairs at the Polytechnic campus. "As our campus continues to grow and our academic programs flourish, Justin will provide the leadership to develop outstanding career services for our students and the employers interested in our graduates."<separator></separator>Finnerty started at the Polytechnic campus in July 2004, and since then has established the first Polytechnic campus Career Fair, which brought in 53 employers and more than 300 students, and the first Student Employment Fair for incoming and returning students to the campus. He also started a career peer program that utilizes student workers to deliver specific career services to students, and initiated the Career Connections program, which brings Polytechnic campus alumni back to the campus to speak to current students about life after college.