Meet Your Career Coach

Nicole is a Career Coach with a passion for education and empowering individuals in their careers. With a Master’s in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, she has over 10 years of experience teaching and coaching adult learners in dynamic education settings. As a former Recruiter for Platinion of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as well as a former Recruiter for Premier Staffing, Inc., her experience working in education is supplemented with her role in the recruitment of digital, risk, and IT professionals and in creating hiring partnerships with both startups and Fortune 500 companies. In her current role as Associate Director of Industry Relations, Nicole is energized by innovative employer partnerships that offer students and alumni opportunities to create impact, an individualized approach to career coaching, executive development, and initiatives that promote personal growth, wellbeing, and fun! Outside of work, Nicole enjoys creative writing, live music, and supporting STEAM initiatives in underrepresented communities.

Jia Wei is an Assistant Director and a career coach for students within the Applied Analytics program. Prior to Columbia, Jia Wei worked in career services, particularly focusing on students from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds at his alma meter, Stony Brook University. Jia Wei’s favorite part about working in career services is being able to guide students in their job search, explore different career opportunities, assist students in recognizing and developing their brand, and see it all come together. Prior to working in career services, Jia Wei worked in a number of various roles in higher education, such as academic affairs, academic advising, student orientation, and residential life.

Jia Wei was born in Shanghai, China, and is a first generation immigrant and a first generation college student. He holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stony Brook. Although he has been living on Long Island for almost a decade now, rumor has it that Jia Wei still claims to be from Brooklyn and NYC raised.

Kat Castro serves as Associate Director at the CDL, specifically working students from the programs: Political Analytics, Sports Management and Strategic Communication. Before Columbia, Kat worked in Career Services at her Alma Mater, Hofstra University, and Marymount Manhattan College.  Before her career in higher education, Kat worked in the busy life of television. She scouted locations for the long-run show Law and Order, worked as a Production Manager for NBC Sport’s Football Night in America, and managed the NBC Universal Page Program. She started her TV life as an NBC Page, just like Kenneth from 30 Rock! Kat holds a BA in Television/Video Production and recently completed her MS in Strategic Communication. She is a born-and-raised Queens, New Yorker, residing in Forest Hills with her husband, two daughters, and a pup named Bo.

Will Goodall serves as an Assistant Director at the CDL, supporting Columbia’s Enterprise Risk Management students. Before joining the CDL, Will was a strategy consultant with both EY and a start-up organization, supporting organizations through their operational, strategic, and human capital challenges. He also spent time on the backcountry staff at Philmont Scout Ranch, teaching team-building and conflict management skills to thru-hiking groups. Will is excited to bring all his experience to support students’ career search and professional development.

Will holds a MA (Hons) from the University of St. Andrews in International Relations and Management. He is also a subject-matter expert in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Outside of work, Will enjoys backpacking, cooking, and his guilty pleasure: reality television.

Caroline serves as the Assistant Director and Career Coach for the Applied Analytics program at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. With a background in career development from her previous role at Harvard Business School’s Career and Professional Studies office, Caroline brings a wealth of experience to her role. She is dedicated to guiding SPS students towards lifelong career success and fulfillment.

In her coaching role, Caroline emphasizes the importance of aligning career paths with personal values and meaningful life goals. She collaborates with students to craft a compelling career vision and strategy, offering support in areas such as resume writing, networking, behavioral and case interview preparation, and offer negotiation. Caroline, a proud Columbia alumna with a Master’s degree in Education from Teachers College, is committed to helping students achieve their professional and personal aspirations.

Paul Maniaci has worked at four institutions of higher education across New York City in career development. He has over thirteen years of experience helping students find internships and prepare for career opportunities. Paul spent eighteen years living internationally in Mexico City, Hong Kong, and London. He received his Bachelors of Arts in Communications at Syracuse University and his Masters in Public Administration at Baruch College. He is currently a Masters student at the Columbia Journalism School. He has two young daughters.

Tiya McIver, Associate Director joined the School of Professional Studies Career Design Lab team in February 2018. She has over 15 years of employer relations experience working in career development and advising, providing students with the support and tools necessary to achieve their goals in the classroom and beyond. Committed to building relationships, staying connected and on the pulse of industry trends, ensures career readiness and employment success. Prior to joining the Career Design Lab team, she spent many years as the On-Campus Recruiting Manager on the Career Management team at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. There she developed strategic processes and organized events that helped students acquire skill-sets and knowledge on industry-specific trends that aligned with their employment goals.

Taylor Wordsman is currently serving as Assistant Director at the Career Design Lab, where she supports Sustainability Management and Sustainability Science students. She has a background in career services and international student services, and is passionate about serving students and guiding them as they navigate their careers in a global workforce. Before joining the CDL in 2021, Taylor worked for global non-profit organizations with a mission to support students and help them acquire skills necessary to thrive in a culturally diverse world. Taylor earned her B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature at SUNY Geneseo, and her Masters degree in Higher Education Administration from CUNY Baruch.  Taylor lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and enjoys drinking coffee and taking long walks through Central Park in her free time.

Eileen McGinnis is currently the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of CMC Energy Services, one of the country’s largest women-owned energy services company with offices in 8 states with over 400 employees.  She is responsible for furthering CMC’s mission to deliver energy savings to households and businesses through energy efficiency programs that deliver broad economic, environmental, public health and employment benefits.  Prior to her appointment as Chair, McGinnis served as CEO and President of the company for ten years.  During her tenure, CMC tripled in size while maintaining its commitment to providing innovative, cost-effective methods to conserve energy.

McGinnis has held top policy, regulatory and management positions in state and federal governments over two decades prior to entering the private sector.   These include Chief of Staff to the Administrator of the US EPA where she managed the Offices of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs, Communications and Policy, and Economics and Innovation.  She also directed and coordinated the activities of EPA’s 10 regional offices.  As Chief of Policy in New Jersey’s Office of the Governor, she was responsible for the planning and implementation of major government initiatives across state government including land preservation, education reform, and development of one of the country’s first renewable portfolio standards.  She also managed the State’s first Quality of Life Report to outline to the public what State agencies were doing to implement plans for a Sustainable New Jersey.

McGinnis successfully completed a program designed for leaders in public service at Princeton University’s School of International and Public Affairs where she earned a Master in Public Policy and a Certificate in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy.  She is a graduate of Goucher College in Townson, MD.

McGinnis has been teaching Capstone classes to SUMA and SIPA graduate students for the past several years.

Barbara McGloin is a remote coach serving the students and alumni of the School of Professional Studies.

Previously, Barbara McGloin was the Senior Associate Director at the Career Design Lab and Lecturer at Columbia University School of Professional Studies. In this role, she advised students in M.S. in Strategic Communication, the M.S. in Political Analytics, the M.S. in Sustainability Management and the M.S. in Sustainability Science programs. She developed programs to ensure their successful entry and progression in the field. She maintained and built relationships with a core group of industry leaders and alumni to strengthen hiring relationships with the Career Design Lab, M.S. programs and the school. Earlier in her career, Barbara directed career management services in the M.B.A. and Executive M.B.A. programs at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and counseled M.B.A. students at New York University’s Stern School of Business. She belongs to several professional associations including the New York Women in Communications, Women In Innovation, the Metropolitan New York College Career Planning Officer’s Association, the National Career Development Association, where she presented at their annual conference in 2023 and the National Association of Colleges and Employers, where she presented at their national conference in 2019. Barbara earned an M.A. in Counseling from the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University and a B.A. in Psychology from SUNY College at Cortland. Barbara is a Lecturer in the MS Strategic Communication program and currently teaches the Practicum course.

Becky Flynn is a Certified Career Services Provider with extensive experience coaching university students and experienced professionals in job search, networking, resume, networking, LinkedIn, interviewing, negotiation, and other career topics. Becky is an active member of the National Career Development Association, with a passion for supporting clients on their career journeys. She holds a master’s degree in human resource development and bachelor’s degree in English teaching.  Becky speaks Spanish and has lived abroad 8 years in Dubai, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

Connecting people to work they love has been the hallmark of Emily’s multi-year career in human resources. She brings 15 years of experience spearheading organizational and talent development initiatives in global organizations spanning the mobile solutions, financial services and non-profit sectors.

She is a Nationally Certified Resume Writer, one of only >70 writers to hold this distinction from The National Resume Writers Association. Her episode, Resume Sabotage? Top 5 Fails and Fixes, became the most-streamed installment of the Asking for Good podcast, which has been recognized by Feedspot as one of the Top 30 Best Career Change and Top 20 Best Graduate podcasts. Because Emily has sat on both sides of the interview table, as a candidate and recruiter, she gives her clients first-hand tips on how to flourish in the job search process. From career exploration and personal branding strategies, to optimizing résumés for applicant tracking systems (ATS), she has helped hundreds of job seekers find their career “sweet spot.”

A first-generation college graduate, she holds a Master of Science in Education from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from St. John’s University. Her graduate work focused on career counseling theory and putting it into practice, including interpreting career and personality assessments.

When she’s not chasing after her two children at a NYC public playground, you will find Emily tinkering in the kitchen with her husband.