Award Recipients

Congratulations to the 2026 Winners!

Learn more about these awards here.

Distinguished Leadership Award

Robbin Beauchamp

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Robbin Beauchamp has worked in the career development space since 1999, following a decade in Human Resources. Robbin is a frequent presenter at professional association conferences on topics such as leadership, neurodiversity and closing the wage gap. Robbin has been recognized numerous times by the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers, where she served on the board and co-chaired an annual conference, for her many contributions to her profession. In addition to earning her degrees, Robbin has completed the National Association of Colleges and Employers week-long Management Leadership Institute and their Career Coaching Intensive. Robbin was in the inaugural class of the Career Leadership Collective’s Mastermind, a nine-month program specifically for chief career services officers. Robbin holds the designation of Global Career Development Facilitator and is a certified Life, Career, Executive and Woman’s Empowerment Coach.

Distinguished Leadership Award

Jill Milon

Haverford College

Jill Milon brings more than 25 years of professional experience dedicated to helping students achieve successful post-graduation outcomes. She currently serves as a Career Advisor in the Center for Career and Professional Advising at Haverford College, where she works closely with students and alumni to support their career development.

Prior to joining Haverford, Jill held multiple roles at Stevens Institute of Technology, where her work spanned employer relations, operations, and student advising. She has also made significant contributions within the EdTech sector, including serving as Advisor and Vice President of University Success during the early growth of Handshake. In addition, Jill spent over a decade at JOBTRAK/Monster.com, a pioneering platform connecting students with employment opportunities, where she held leadership roles including National Director of College Relations, Senior Product Manager, and Senior Marketing Manager. Jill’s expertise extends to consulting in early talent acquisition, where she has partnered with organizations to design and implement strategies for recruiting top entry-level talent.

A dedicated leader in the profession, Jill has actively contributed to career services through advisory boards and professional associations. She has been deeply involved with the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE), beginning her leadership journey as a Professional Exchange Committee Chair in her first year of membership. In her 27 years of EACE membership, she has since served in numerous leadership capacities each year, including chairing various committees, leading and serving on multiple task forces, co-chairing two conferences and holding 5 roles on the EACE Board of Directors. Jill served as President of EACE during the 2021–2022 term.

Tribute Award 

Philip Wilkerson III
George Mason University

Philip Wilkerson is an Employer Engagement Consultant at George Mason University Career Services, where he builds meaningful partnerships that connect employers with the George Mason community and expand access to internships and career opportunities. He leads engagement across industries including Media, Arts & Design, Sports & Recreation, Hospitality & Tourism, and Technology & Engineering.

A dynamic communicator and relationship-builder, Philip is a Distinguished Toastmaster, TEDx speaker, and a 2024 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) “Mentor of the Year” nominee. His work has been recognized through honors such as George Mason Employee of the Month and Black Alumni Forty Under 40, along with multiple awards for leadership, service, and inclusive excellence.

Beyond his role, Philip is the host of the Positive Philter Podcast, where he amplifies conversations around personal growth, purpose, and community. He is also deeply committed to mentoring and advising student organizations, helping students and professionals alike navigate their paths with clarity and confidence.

Outstanding Member Award 

Jamie Guilford
Dickinson College

Jamie Guilford is Director of Career Pathways at Dickinson College. She has worked in career services in various roles, including employer relations, career counseling, and adjunct faculty, at different institutions for over 17 years including King’s College of PA, University of Colorado Denver, Gettysburg College, and York College of Pennsylvania. At Dickinson, she leads a team of five Career Pathway Advisors who offer personalized internship and job advice, industry-specific resources, and alumni connections to students through a career communities model. She also meets with students in the Business career community.

Jamie received her bachelor of arts in English from Susquehanna University and her master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). She has served on multiple committees for various professional organizations including the Commission for Career Development for ACPA and is currently a member of the Membership Committee for LACN, the Liberal Arts Career Network. With EACE, she served twice on Annual Conference subcommittees, was Co-Chair for the Working Parents affinity group, was Co-Chair of the Conference Experience Committee, and is currently serving as Co-Chair for the Grants and Scholarships committee.

Some of Jamie’s professional interests include Gen Alpha, the continuing evolution of career services, women’s career journeys, and leadership.

Rising Star Award

Angela Richard
Boston University

Excellence in Program Development & Innovation Award 

Career-Focused Pedagogy Brightspace Site
Clemente Diaz, Baruch College, Starr Career Development Center

Our Career-Focused Pedagogy Brightspace Site is designed to support faculty (and staff) in intentionally preparing students for the world of work by integrating career readiness into teaching and advising practices. Through engagement with the site, faculty are guided to recognize their role in students' career development, identify effective strategies for workforce preparation, and incorporate career-focused learning outcomes into their curricula.

Participants are encouraged to reflect on their current teaching practices, identify opportunities to embed career readiness, and develop career-focused instructional materials and classroom strategies. The site also provides access to a wide range of tools, resources, and sample assignments, while fostering a community of colleagues committed to advancing student career readiness across disciplines. Although initially developed for faculty, the site has also proven valuable for administrators seeking to enhance career-focused programming.

The site features a series of self-paced, asynchronous modules that introduce key concepts and practical applications of career-focused pedagogy. Modules include an introduction to career-focused pedagogy, addressing common barriers and strategies for implementation; curating and disseminating career resources; embedding career readiness into the curriculum through course objectives and assignments; leveraging campus stakeholders such as career services, alumni relations, and student organizations; and career advising basics for faculty advisors, including an overview of the 3-I Model of Career Advising.

To further support participants, the site integrates two Microsoft Copilot AI agents. The Career-Focused Pedagogy Copilot assists faculty and staff in exploring and implementing career-focused teaching strategies, while the Career-Advising Basics Copilot provides targeted guidance and resources aligned with the advising module. Together, these features enhance accessibility, scalability, and faculty engagement with career-focused pedagogy. 

Honorable Mention - Excellence in Program Development & Innovation

Maryland Technology Internship Program

Christine Routzahn, Jen Spencer Heilman, Britney Campbell, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Excellence in Technology Award

Employer & Alumni Career Connections Directory

Mary Malerba, Gabrielle Comella, Lee Hameroff, University of Connecticut

The Employer & Alumni Career Connections Directory is a centralized, searchable volunteer-matching database developed by the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills to connect faculty, staff, and student leaders with alumni and employer partners for career programming.

The initiative demonstrated innovation by replacing a decentralized, relationship-based outreach process with shared infrastructure that promotes equitable access and coordinated engagement. Volunteers opt in through a structured interest form, allowing program organizers to filter by major, industry, organization, volunteer interests, and optional identity information to intentionally align speakers and mentors with specific program goals.The program enhanced service delivery by centralizing outreach, reducing duplication of efforts, and standardizing volunteer communication. Organizers can now secure alumni in as little as 30 minutes, compared to an average of 2.5 hours prior to implementation—an 80% improvement in efficiency.

By broadening access to 198 alumni volunteers spanning 62 majors, 60 industries, and 147 organizations during its pilot semester, the directory significantly expanded students’ exposure to diverse professional pathways while increasing alumni engagement by 92% over the previous year.

Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award

CareerReadyAI
Bill Burden, Lehigh University

CareerReadyAI is a new AI-supported career development chatbot designed to expand equitable access to career education and guided reflection for students at Lehigh University. Supported by a LehighAI grant from the Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning, the initiative was developed through a participatory, student-centered design process that included close collaboration with the campus Pride Center and intentional centering of LGBTQ+ student voices. The nominee served as the project’s lead designer and facilitator, guiding cross-campus collaboration, student engagement in focus groups, and iterative refinement to ensure the generative AI tool aligned with equity-minded career development practices. In parallel, the project received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for an action research study examining the tool’s impact on student confidence, agency, and sense of belonging in career development. CareerReadyAI demonstrates excellence in equity and inclusion by intentionally centering students in the design process who may face barriers to traditional career support. The tool complements one-on-one coaching by providing on-demand, low-pressure guidance that helps students build language, confidence, and readiness to engage in career conversations. It explicitly reinforces that it does not replace human career coaches, but instead scaffolds learning and empowers students to more fully access existing resources.

Excellence in Employer Partnership Award

Foundations of Insurance Program

Julia Hersey, MLMIC Insurance Company & Randy Walker, MedPro Group 

The St. John’s University–MLMIC Foundations of Insurance Program is a collaborative educational initiative designed to prepare undergraduate students for careers in healthcare liability insurance. This partnership brings together: St. John’s University; MLMIC Insurance Company, New York’s most prominent medical professional liability insurer; and MedPro Group, a national leader in healthcare risk management.

Together, these institutions deliver a structured, skills-focused learning experience that blends academic instruction with real-world industry exposure. The program was created to build a stronger, more diverse talent pipeline for the healthcare liability insurance sector—an industry with specialized needs and limited exposure in traditional undergraduate programs. The initiative is designed to provide students with: Early access to industry knowledge and career pathways; Practical insights into medical professional liability insurance; Mentorship and professional development guided by industry leaders.

Past Year Award Recipients: