Dan Olson-Bang to Head New Office of Graduate Professional and Career Development

Dan Olson-Bang

Peter Vanable, dean of the Graduate School, today announced plans to create a new Office of Graduate Professional and Career Development. Dan Olson-Bang will lead the new office as director, effective immediately. The new office will enhance the career and professional development services currently provided to graduate and postdoctoral students at Syracuse University.

Olson-Bang has served as associate director for Graduate Career Services since November 2014, where he worked extensively with Ph.D. and master’s students at the University on their career needs. In his time at Syracuse, Olson-Bang has developed and delivered a wide range of career services programs for graduate students. Some of these initiatives include inviting nationally recognized speakers to campus to address trends in higher education and career trajectories, developing a series of workshops on a range of topics related to professional development and advising students to help them chart individualized career paths, prepare application materials and make decisions about professional opportunities.

“Our graduate students play a vital role in advancing the University’s reputation and position as a leader in research, teaching and innovation, and we’re always looking to improve their experience as well as their future prospects for professional and career development,” says Vanable. “Through the creation of the Office of Graduate Professional and Career Development, we will broaden and enhance our support for graduate students. Dan Olson-Bang’s expertise and familiarity with Syracuse and our graduate student community will allow us to implement the best approaches to augment our students’ career and professional opportunities.”

The Office of Graduate Professional and Career Development will extend and deepen existing career services efforts. Specifically, the office will undertake the following:

• Adopt a curriculum-based approach to professional and career development that targets specific disciplines and industries, including STEM and the humanities. This innovative, multi-year model will enable the Graduate School to create customized, timely workshops, hands-on “labs” and panels geared to address the needs of graduate students at specific stages of their education from their first to final years in their programs. This model will also ensure the Graduate School offers more tailored support for Syracuse’s large population of international students.
• Work in partnership with colleagues in alumni affairs and advancement to create a robust alumni mentoring program to strengthen the ties between alumni and current students to facilitate better placement of graduate students.
• Hire a team of professional and career advisors focused on high priority areas of need for graduate students in order to increase industry and disciplinary specialization, especially for high-demand areas. Our work with graduate students will employ a coaching-based model that emphasizes skill-building and equipping students with the competencies necessary to excel in their career development.

“I’m thrilled to take on this new role as the Graduate School moves toward a comprehensive and integrated model of professional and career development,” says Dan Olson-Bang. “I’m looking forward to working closely with graduate students to tailor programs and services to meet their unique needs from day one to graduation.”

Before joining Syracuse, Olson-Bang earned a Ph.D. in English literature from Fordham University, where he also served as an academic counselor, academic advisor and instructor in the Department of English. Olson-Bang also has an M.A. in English language and literature from New York University and a B.A. from North Carolina State University.

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit www.syracuse.edu.