Karen M. Landolt, Director

Karen joined the Career Design Center in 2011. Karen has over 16 years’ experience in organizational programming, teaching, and advising in non-profit, legal, and academic settings. Karen has worked at UT since 2004 and joins us most recently from MBA Career Services at the McCombs School of Business where she was the Senior Associate Director and an Adjunct Lecturer and oversaw the career-related curriculum programming and advising for MBA students in five different programs.

Karen previously practiced intellectual property law at a large venture capital/intellectual property firm (Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeult, LLP) and was a founding partner of a boutique business and intellectual property firm (Tremont Law Group, LLP). Karen is a Certified Mediator and is admitted to the Massachusetts bar. Prior to attending law school, Karen worked in the non-profit arena as an Emergency Housing Counselor with the YWCA, a Development Officer with St. Vincent de Paul Society, and as a Community Organizer with the Hunger Action Network of New York State.

Karen completed her Juris Doctor at Northeastern University School of Law and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Government from The University of Texas at Austin.

Barbara Murphey, Administrative Associate

Barbara is the Office Manager with the College of Natural Sciences, Career Design Center team. Barbara has been with Natural Sciences Career Services for 12 -1/2 years. Prior to coming to the College of Natural Sciences, Career Services, Barbara worked at the McCombs School of Business in the Bureau of Business Research for 13 years.

Caleb D. Marsh, Career Coach

Caleb serves as a Career Coach in the College of Natural Sciences Career Design Center focused on working with students entering the Health Professions. Prior to a career in Higher Education, Caleb worked for the Houston Texans and Houston Astros. Caleb is experienced in advising and counseling a wide array of undergraduate student populations and is well versed in the admissions processes for most major health professions.

He obtained a BS in Education and Computer Information Systems and an MS in Educational Administration from Baylor University. He is a published writer, guitar player, movie lover, and a fan of all types of music.

Christiana Cough, Career Coach

Christiana joined the Career Design Center in October of 2011. Prior to joining UT, she worked in the field of Human Resources for over 10 years. One of the aspects of HR that she enjoyed the most was recruiting and, more specifically, helping managers and candidates determine what their needs, interests, and skill sets were and matching these to form a solid team.

While she worked for a number of companies and industries including NASA, the law firm of Goodwin Procter and a federal defense contractor, she most enjoyed the time spent working at Tufts University in Boston. While at Tufts, Christiana focused on recruiting research staff for the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Working closely with faculty members, she recruited, interviewed and hired individuals from around the country who had recently graduated and were interested in pursuing careers in research, or who were interested in getting research experience prior to continuing on to medical or dental school, PhD programs, and a variety of other career paths. This experience and enthusiasm will continue as she assists students in the College of Natural Sciences as they determine their next steps.

Christiana earned her Master of Science degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from San Jose State University in San Jose, California and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.

Dawn Shaw, Career Coach

Dawn joined the Career Design Center in August of 2011. She has worked in Higher Education for 8 years in areas such as academic advising, career development, strategic change, implementing new technology, designing leadership initiatives, and coaching students through life transitions. Dawn is certified in StrengthsQuest and Strengths Performance Leader, an assessment tool used to develop personal talents.

Dawn spends most of her time creating innovative solutions to common organizational/personal challenges; strategizing communication efforts, evaluating feedback, maximizing energy, implementing change & new technology, aligning cultural values to make a more effect team, and coaching students. Dawn believes in the value of aligning personal values, strengths, and goals with the company’s vision for optimal success. She strives to find the unique abilities in students/staff that will have the most impact to company goals and personal satisfaction. Dawn enjoys spending time with family & friends, reading & writing, and playing or listening to music. If not at work or home, you can find Dawn at Starbucks with a White Chocolate Mocha and a good book.

Dawn earned her Master of Science degree in Human Resources Development from the University of Houston and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Metropolitan State College of Denver.

Debbie Gandy

Debbie joined the Natural Sciences Career Design Center in 2006. She is part of the administrative team with a focus on health professions. Debbie began her career in Houston, working in Human Resources at the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski and later in Customer Service with AT&T. As a native Austinite, she was glad to return to Austin with her husband where she first did administrative work at UT for the Bureau of Economic Geology. After taking a break from the work force to raise a family of three girls, she returned to work at UT Austin in 2005. Debbie enjoys traveling with family and friends and even had an opportunity to visit Moscow, Russia where one of her daughters teaches at an International School. She is active at her church and involved with her family’s activities.

Debbie received her BBA in Marketing from the University of Texas at Austin

Eirin Gould, Career Coach

Eirin joined the Health Professions Advising team in 2003. Prior to starting at UT Austin as an academic advisor in 1996, she was a psychotherapist in California. Eirin ran a private practice, was a lecturer at John F. Kennedy Graduate School of Psychology, and traveled regularly to major cities in the U.S. and Australia to train mental health and other health care professionals in the treatment and management of trauma after-effects. She has experience as a state government chief financial officer and has many years’ experience designing fine art framing and setting up gallery exhibitions.

Eirin earned a Clinical Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at the American Academy of Family Studies (John F. Kennedy University), a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) at the University of Denver, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Denver.

Lesley Riley, JAMP

Lesley has been working with college students for over 13 years. She discovered a passion for helping students plan “what comes next” while completing her MS in Counseling at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi. Through her practicum experiences in the campus’s Career Services and Counseling offices, she found true delight in helping college students identify their strengths and talents. While working on personal issues in the Counseling Center was rewarding, Lesley resonated more strongly with helping students launch their career dreams.

After completing her studies in 2001, she accepted a job in the Liberal Arts Career Services Office at UT Austin. In her five years with Liberal Arts she counseled and advised students from all Liberal Arts majors with a special emphasis on Economics majors. In 2006, she accepted a job in Natural Sciences Career Services, working as a Career Advisor. Shortly after beginning that job, Natural Sciences Career Services merged with the Health Professions Office. Within a year, she decided that advising students working toward a career in a health profession was where she wanted to channel her energy.

Lesley’s previous career in the hospitality industry focused on convention planning and coordination. She has a BA in Journalism from Texas State University.

Patty Gaston, Front Desk Manager

Patty comes to the Natural Sciences Career Design Center with a strong background in customer service experience. She has over 16 years of experience in Human Resources, including here at UT Austin. Her customer service and Human Resources experience also includes the high tech and insurance industries. Patty spent several years working as a Substitute Teacher and a Special Education Teaching Assistant at Cunningham Elementary School. She has served on the board of the Crockett Band Parents Association for 3 years and counting! This keeps her in close touch with the public school system and her two busy teenagers.

Patty has a Bachelor of Science from The University of Texas at Austin in Speech Communications.

Shannon Gutheil, Career Coach

Shannon recently joined the Career Design Center in October 2011. Shannon has 8 ½ years of career counseling and development experience working with students within the Workforce System. This is where she found her passion for helping people find and implement their career goals. She thrives on helping students find their key strengths and follow their interests. Shannon has extensive experience teaching career and job search focused workshops and helping students prepare for employment as they graduate.

Shannon received her Master’s Degree in Education, Counseling and Career Development in 2004 from Colorado State University. Shannon is also a Licensed Professional Counselor, holds a National Counseling Certification and is a Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator (MBTI) Master Practitioner, administrator and facilitator.

Shannon’s previous career in the social service sector includes facilitating family mediations and working with teens in crisis, involved with the juvenile justice system. She has a BS in Consumer and Family Studies from Colorado State University.

Suzette Ruedas

Suzette Ruedas has been a part of the Career Design Center team since January 1999. She began her journey in the office by working at the front desk, then to Recruiting Coordinator, to her now present role as Senior Administrative Associate. She coordinates and manages many of the office events throughout the year, as well as leads and supports the administrative team. Prior to working in the Career Design Center she has worked at the University in both The Office of Accounting and The Faculty Center.

Suzette received her B.A. in Business Management from Concordia University at Austin.

Tara Pitt, Career Coach

Tara joined the Career Design Center in 2011. Her last appointment at UT was at the McCombs School of Business, where she was a Recruitment Support Specialist cultivating recruiter contacts and managing recruiter visits for fulltime and internship placements.

Tara first worked with college students in 1999 during her Masters program in Counseling Psychology. She worked in the Educational Services Clinic evaluating career goals of students using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS). For the past three years, Tara has been a faculty member with The University of Phoenix and taught online classes in health and human services.

Tara’s previous non-profit experience includes working with parenting teenagers and conducting home studies for families seeking to sponsor international adolescents. Tara received her BA in Psychology at Texas A&M University and her MA in Counseling Psychology at the University of Denver.