Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

Shawn Loner’s Goal: Helping Students Succeed

Wednesday, October 18, 2023, By Diane Stirling
Share
Graduate SchoolstaffStudents
staff member Shawn Loner seated at his desk

Shawn Loner

Shawn Loner sees his role as helping graduate students navigate their journey at Syracuse University—from transitioning to University life to considering post-University careers and everything in between.

Loner, assistant director of professional and career development in the Graduate School, has worked in the position on a part-time basis, but was recently promoted to a full-time role that includes an expansion of his responsibilities.

His expanded role allows him more time to provide services for students, with a particular focus on teaching assistants (TAs), especially in areas of programming, workshops, classroom observations and consultations. He also manages the TA Orientation and TA Program and has primary responsibility for the Graduate School’s English Language Proficiency Services and English conversation partner programs. As a member of the career services team, Loner also supports master’s degree students in preparing job application materials and reviews resumes and cover letters.

“Navigating being a graduate student and a teaching assistant, and all the various hats that go along with those roles, can be quite daunting at times,” Loner says. “The Graduate School staff and I are here to make any transitions students are going through smoother and to provide support in all the roles they might be playing.”

“We see ourselves as supporting graduate students from ‘cradle to grave.’ From the time when they come in fresh as new graduate students we give them welcome and support. We provide that support throughout their graduate student career in terms of programming, professional development and the Future Professoriate Program.”

Loner facilitates several professional development initiatives, including the TA orientation program for new teaching assistants and related programming to help graduate students grow as instructors and scholars. Another major area of focus for Loner is to provide career counseling for graduate students nearing degree completion.

“If there is a higher-quality, more comprehensive TA orientation program than what we have at Syracuse University, you’ll have to show it to me,” says Glenn Wright, executive director of professional and career development in the Graduate School. “Shawn has been the driving force behind that for many years, and it’s great to be able to bring him on board full time so that other programs and services can benefit from his oversight in the same way. His expanded role will provide additional capacity for our career counseling as well as more flexibility in scheduling those services.”

Loner says he enjoys his work in part because he relates to the students. “Having been a graduate student, I know how exciting and how difficult it can be to be in that position, and in particular to be a teaching assistant. There’s a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations, both on the outside and internally. I like who I’m serving here and I want the students to succeed.”

  • Author

Diane Stirling

  • Recent
  • First-Year Law Student to First-Year Dean: Lau Combines Law and Business to Continue College of Law’s Upward Trajectory
    Thursday, June 26, 2025, By Robert Conrad
  • Student Innovations Shine at 2025 Invent@SU Presentations
    Thursday, June 26, 2025, By Alex Dunbar
  • Iran Escalation: Experts Available This Week
    Tuesday, June 24, 2025, By Vanessa Marquette
  • SCOTUS Win for Combat Veterans Backed by Syracuse Law Clinic
    Monday, June 23, 2025, By Vanessa Marquette
  • Syracuse Views Summer 2025
    Monday, June 23, 2025, By News Staff

More In Campus & Community

Retiring University Professor and Decorated Public Servant Sean O’Keefe G’78 Reflects on a Legacy of Service

For most of his time as a public servant, Sean O’Keefe G’78 adhered to a few guiding principles: Step up when someone calls upon you to serve. Be open to anything. Challenge yourself. Those values helped O’Keefe navigate a career…

Jorge Morales ’26 Named a 2025 Beinecke Scholar

Jorge Morales ’26, a double major in history and anthropology in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs with a minor in English and textual studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded the highly competitive…

Registration Open for Esports Campus Takeover Hosted by University and Gen.G

Syracuse University and global esports and gaming organization Gen.G have opened general registration at campustakeover.gg for its first Campus Takeover Sept. 20-21. The two-day conference will bring students and administrators to Syracuse to highlight career opportunities within the esports industry…

2 Whitman Students Earn Prestigious AWESOME Scholarship

For the first time in the 12-year history of the program, both nominees from the Whitman School of Management have been selected as recipients of the 2025 AWESOME Excellence in Education Scholarship, a prestigious honor awarded to top-performing undergraduate women…

Whitman’s Johan Wiklund Named a Top Scholar Globally for Business Research Publications

The Whitman School of Management’s Distinguished Professor Johan Wiklund was recently listed as one of the most prolific business and economic research scholars globally, according to “What We Know About the Science of Science in Business and Economics? Insights From…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.