New Executive Director of University Career Services Announced
DSAES News
July 21, 2022
May 14 - Monica D. Thompson will join the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services as the new executive director of University Career Services effective July 7, 2014. University Career Services (UCS) is the full-service career center offering all University of Houston (UH) students and alumni resources and assistance in the formulation and implementation of their career plans. It serves as the point of contact for the posting of all college work-study positions, part-time employment and internship opportunities, both on and off-campus, and coordinates on-campus recruitment. University Career Services provides opportunities for potential employers to find the best and brightest candidates across all disciplines for their respective organizations.
Thompson’s career spans over 20 years with her most recent role as the assistant director of Internal Operations at McCombs BBA Career Services at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin. She has been with UT since 2001 and has been in her current role since 2005. While at UT, Thompson utilized comprehensive theoretical and practical knowledge of organizational design, change management, project management, team development, leadership development, talent management and instructional design to contribute to the overall management and leadership of the McCombs BBA Career Services center. Specifically, Thompson assessed and implemented efficient procedures in data collection to improve services, oversaw the implementation of a program designed to help underrepresented minority students to network with employers, and created a volunteer program to support 780 mock interviews, six networking events and classroom visitations. She also served as a manager and lecturer for the BA 101 Career Strategies course, which delivered job search strategies to over 1,300 students annually, provided supervision to full-time and student employee staff, participated on business leadership teams and task forces, and served as a senior business career advisor.
Prior to her career at UT, Thompson served as project manager/consultant for INROADS/Central Texas, a recruiting supervisor and a human resources generalist for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and a human resources intern for Dell Computers.
Thompson earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Texas State University and her Master of Science in Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University. She is a certified Texas Mediator from the Center of Public Policy and Dispute at UT. Thompson has also completed Senior Professional in Human Resources and Project Management Professional Certification courses at UT.
“Monica will bring a new vision and sense of collaboration to career services with the professional experience to enhance the programs and services provided to our students and alumni. She also brings a balanced approach for a student-centered department with strong partnerships with the colleges and employers in the greater Houston community and beyond. As a native Houstonian, Monica’s understanding of the city of Houston, its relationship with the University of Houston, and her commitment to building collaborative relationships on and off campus bode well for UCS in reaching its vision of being the premier career services provider at UH,” said Daniel Maxwell, associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs, UH System, and associate vice president for Student Affairs, UH. Please join the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services along with the staff of UCS in welcoming Monica to UH and home to Houston.