U. counselor departs post

Soon, members of the College Class of 2004 will notice a familiar name missing from their e-mail inboxes. In March -- after 3 1/2 years of directing students toward future career paths through personal advising and mass e-mailing -- School of Arts and Sciences Career Services Counselor Chandlee Bryan will be leaving Penn. "Chandlee is leaving in March to assume the directorship of the Thayer School of Engineering Career Center at Dartmouth" College, Penn Director of Career Services Patricia Rose wrote in a recent e-mail. While Bryan admits the switch-over is scheduled to occur at a seemingly awkward time --during Penn's spring recess -- she explains that the final portion of the spring semester will serve as a transition period into her new position. "I would've preferred to stay the whole year, but I need to get started there as well," Bryan said. According to Rose, Career Services has yet to begin its search to fill the vacancy. "We cannot officially look for a replacement until the position is posted," she explained. Rose noted that "currently there is a hiring freeze in our part of the University, but we are hopeful that we will get permission to post the job so that we can have a replacement for Chandlee in a reasonable period of time." Even with the impending vacancy, Bryan maintains that Career Services will continue to run at full capacity. "I think it's a fabulous office, and I wouldn't think that the loss of one staff member would affect the quality students have come to expect to receive at Career Services at Penn," Bryan said. As one of three counselors assigned to serve the needs of School of Arts and Sciences undergraduate students and faculty members, Bryan describes her responsibility of advising the largest pool of guidance-seekers on campus -- over 6,000 in total -- as a "tremendous administrative challenge" but also as a "wonderful experience." "I've had 3 1/2 years of Jedi training," Bryan remarked playfully. By taking on the position at Dartmouth, the counselor will not only shrink the size of her advising group down to approximately 400 individuals, but she will also have the opportunity to "implement and design [her] own initiatives." Additionally, she will tap into her previous career experience of advising engineering students. After completing her undergraduate education, Bryan worked for three years at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the professional development of young aerospace engineers. Bryan remarked that during her time at the institute, she was surprised to discover that the professional needs and concerns of engineers paralleled her own needs as an English major. Since her experience at the institute, Bryan has spent her years in graduate school at the University of Virginia and in advising at Penn -- neither of which involved much direct career planning with up-and-coming engineers. Bryan explained that she is pleased and excited to see that her own career has "come full-circle." Although she admitted she is "pretty heartsick to leave Penn," Bryan added that she is greatly looking forward to her new "fabulous professional opportunity."

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