Veronica Heiskell, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Provide 1:1 career consulting on exploration, career changes, strengths identification, and graduate school planning. Deliver fully customizable dynamic trainings, workshops, and presentations on topics like career exploration, exploratory students, strengths at work, assessment and evaluation, and strategic planning. Schedule your free consultation now.

Lead a team of 14 professional and student staff to overhaul and improve the experiential learning ecosystem at UC Santa Cruz, ensuring all students have access to engage in meaningful opportunities.Launched two multimillion dollar experiential learning grant initiatives with diverse stakeholder engagement across Financial Aid, Hispanic Serving Initiatives, and Educational Opportunities Program, managing budget, staffing, communications, compliance, and data reporting in a tight turnaround time.Led the transition to Handshake as the sole platform for all student employment and experiential learning opportunities, engaging a university-wide committee to ease the implementation process.Rebuilt student employment policies, procedures, and structure, revamping the purpose of off-campus work-study, and elevating all work-study opportunities to become high impact career readiness practices.Built new five-year strategic plan in a collaborative, practitioner-based approach to prioritize the goals and purpose of Career Success and guide committee in office-wide implementation and assessment.Provide strategic vision and leadership for the office through service on leadership committee, incorporating an explicit focus in centering identity, belonging, and inclusion in leadership and supervision.Serve as primary liaison for Graduate Division, creating and providing graduate student-focused support, training all student-facing staff in supporting the unique needs of graduate students.Continually create new policies, toolkits, and resources for on and off-campus employers interested in developing experiential learning programs and in strengthening their supervision practice.

University Leadership Network, Student Success Initiatives

Manage experiential learning for 1,500 students in the University Leadership Network, a program designed to provide meaningful leadership experience to low-income students at UT. Deliver workshops, design curriculum, engage with employers all to ensure students find meaningful experiences and can articulate why those experiences are meaningful to them. Supervise professional and graduate student staff on the experiential learning team.

Vick Center For Strategic Advising & Career Counseling

Provided one-on-one career counseling for all students focusing on career and major exploration, career assessments, resume, cover letter, and personal statement review, and internship and graduate school planning. Led monthly group workshops interpreting Myers Briggs and Strong Interest Inventory for students from across campus. Created and delivered workshops on topics including professionalism, resume writing, and career exploration.Coordinated practicum program; trained and supervised 1-3 practicum students yearly. Co-coordinated assessment and evaluation of career counseling and academic advising for the center. Organized, marketed, and led focus groups for current students. Developed needs assessment. Created annual assessment reports and presentations.

Provided one-on-one career counseling for students from all majors focusing on personal development, career exploration, changing majors, resume and cover letter review, job search, graduate and professional schools, and interview skills. Utilized assessment tools like Strong Interest Inventory, StrengthsQuest, and Self-Directed Search with students.Delivered innovative workshops on topics including planned happenstance, etiquette, interviewing, and job search skills. Supervised and trained ten graduate interns who provide drop-in resume and cover letter review. Assisted with check-in process of 200+ employers at quarterly large-scale career fairs.Created and implemented a targeted six-week group career intervention for LGBTQIA students focusing on personal interests, values clarification, career self-efficacy, and development of individualized career plans. Recruited employees and moderated an LGBTQIA employee panel kick-off event for the career intervention. Led weekly “Queer Career” Drop-in for LGBTQIA students and their allies.

College Of Science And Mathematics Advising Center

Advised freshman, sophomore, and transfer students on topics such as changing majors, planning class schedules, interpretation of policies, academic probation, and pre-health professions; emphasis on change of major and career planning. Presented workshops about course planning, selecting and changing majors, academic success strategies, and career opportunities.Developed and implemented a 17 hour training for academic success peer coaches; curriculum included active listening, strengths-based coaching, learning strategies, and motivating reluctant students. Recruited and hired 12 successful students to serve as peer coaches for students on academic probation. Supervised five peer coaches; led biweekly staff meetings and professional development trainings.

Trained over 20 hours on the research background and tenets of self-directed groupwork.Facilitate focus groups with LGBTQIA youth about how to effectively implement new diversity laws in their schools. Recruit youth and community members to participate on Central Coast Coalition for Inclusive Schools.

Stanford High School Summer College

Supervised ten mentors (current Stanford students) and oversaw two houses with 180 high school students (over 30% international) during the High School Summer College eight-week session. Served on the Residential Committee addressing conduct violations for all six houses in the program. Led resident conduct meetings; provided educationally-based outcomes to promote student learning. Provided one-on-one support for students who were struggling academically with their first college courses. Created and led workshops for staff development on topics including assertiveness, leadership, and conflict resolution. Provided on-call crisis response support. Developed comprehensive 39 page year-end report including program review and recommendations.

College Of Science And Mathematics Advising Center

Trained in appreciative advising, strength-based psychology and academic strategies for students. Coached 13 students on academic probation; empowered students over a quarter to develop and implement new academic strategies to increase their success at Cal Poly.

The Gender Equity Center

Developed new programming, purpose statements, and learning objectives for center programming. Established three subprograms focusing on positive masculinities, transgender identities, and feminism. Created Trans Action, a partnership between The Gender Equity Center and The Pride Center focusing on supporting trans students and educating the campus community about trans identities.Produced an extensive event-planning guide for the 10th annual performance of The Vagina Monologues. Cultivated relationships with local businesses securing over $2,000 in in-kind donations for The Vagina Monologues. Assisted in planning 2nd Annual Gender Symposium, reviewing session submissions, scheduling keynote speakers, managing registration, supervising event volunteers, and securing support funding from campus departments. Performed a needs assessment to determine the programming needs of current LGBTQIA students. Created a new monthly discussion series addressing controversial gender topics entitled “Gender Buffet.”.

Career Services

Provided resume assistance, drop-in career counseling, and workshop delivery for students.

Americorps Lead Volunteer Infrastructure Project Fellow

Collaborated with Coordinator to rebrand The Women’s Center to The Gender Equity Center in February 2011; coordinated a large-scale unveiling of the new name and two anniversary celebrations. Supervised four student assistants and six interns; led weekly staff meetings; held quarterly staff evaluations. Drafted budget grant proposals, secured over $80,000 of new funding, and maintained the $30,000 budget.Developed strong programming and event collaborations addressing the intersectionality of student’s identities with The Pride Center, The Multicultural Center, and the Women’s & Gender Studies department. Supervised the Women’s Leadership Council, a mentorship program for women, and Triota, an honor’s society. Created and implemented presentations on sexual assault, gender identity, feminism, and ally trainings.Trained incoming student staff and volunteers on how to effectively present to large and small groups.Collaborated with Coordinator to develop and implement a new retreat for student and professional staff. Planned and implemented prominent Status of Women Committee events for staff members including the Fall Gathering Celebrating Women and the Spring Celebration Honoring Outstanding Women. Assisted in planning of Pride Month workshops and activities; cohosted the Trans Fashion Show twice.

Ucla Adhd & Development Lab

Investigated the biological and environmental influences on disruptive behavior disorders. Trained and supervised research assistants on data entry, daily administration tasks, and conducting telephone screenings. Conducted telephone screenings; scheduled and corresponded with families and teachers. Collaborated with a graduate student on a project investigating behavioral inhibition in children with ADHD and anxiety.

Ucla Interdisciplinary Relationship Science Program

Investigated the influence of message frame and message source on a polarizing topic: gay marriage. Presented thesis research at the UCLA Psychology Undergraduate Research Conference and the Stanford Undergraduate Psychology Conference.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Program In Higher Education Leadership

Master Of Arts (M.A.), Counseling And Guidance In Higher Education/Student Affairs, Gpa: 4.0

B.A., Psychology, Minor In Lgbt Studies, Psychology Global Gpa: 4.0; Overall Gpa: 3.88

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society, Summa Cum Laude