February 24, 2023

Statewide Campuses Partners with Career Design Center, Names Assistant Director

Utah State University Statewide Campuses has partnered with USU’s Career Design Center to expand access to career education at Statewide Campuses. As part of this partnership, Marissa Armitstead has been promoted to the newly created position of assistant director of Career Design for Statewide Campuses.

“I’m thrilled to partner with Kevin Schwemmin, the executive director of USU’s Career Design Center to expand the reach of Career Design across USU’s Statewide Campuses,” said Andrea Olding, assistant vice president for USU Statewide Campuses. “With an increased emphasis on enrollment management, this partnership will allow us to expand career design programming across all phases of the student lifecycle, from prospective students who are interested in the return on investment of a college education to enhancing our current students’ experience through building career events and career education opportunities that match the needs of the communities and students we serve.”

The new position will support the Career Design Center’s vision to bring career education and opportunities to every USU student before graduation. Students at each of the Statewide Campuses have unique career needs that are different than those on the Logan campus.

“This enhanced partnership between the Career Design Center and Statewide Campuses will allow us to provide career education and resources that are relevant to each of our unique student populations,” Schwemmin said.

Armitstead will work with campus leadership, faculty and staff to develop initiatives and resources to meet these unique needs and to build campus structures to support career design. Armitstead will build and support local employer engagement strategies that meet campus/center needs.

"Many of our statewide students are here to have an educational experience that positively impacts their future career opportunities," Armitstead said. "I am excited to expand my reach and partner with statewide leadership as well as the Career Design Center to help lead statewide-specific efforts that will further the center's vision of bringing career education and opportunities to every student before graduation."

Armitstead has spent the past three years as a career design specialist for the USU Wasatch Region, helping students become more career ready. She worked with students to integrate career design into their university experience, built career education and content and worked to provide remote access to students looking to engage in career design.

“Students come to USU’s Statewide Campuses for career advancement, and they see education as a viable path to reach this goal,” said David Vernon, associate vice president for the USU Wasatch Region. "Adding a career design specialist to the Wasatch Region was a significant step to empower our students on their journey towards this goal."

“We were fortunate to hire someone who is as passionate, hardworking, and innovative as Marissa. She dreams big, skillfully implements her plan, and continuously looks for ways to increase the impact. With Marissa joining Andrea Olding’s team in this expanded and collaborative role, I am excited to see the impact on Statewide Campus students’ lives.”

Armitstead graduated with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication from the University of Utah and is currently seeking a master’s degree in Instructional Technology & Learning Sciences at USU.

The Career Design Center offers students opportunities to meet with career specialists, get help with resumes, search for employment, and more. To get started, visit www.usu.edu/career-design-center.

Utah State University’s Statewide Campuses create impact by bettering the lives of the people and places they serve. From career and technical certificates to doctorate degrees, USU offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. With multiple locations across 85,000 square miles, USU can be the hometown university to anyone, no matter where they live. Learn more at statewide.usu.edu.