Center for Career & Professional Development Staff

Dr. Theresa Cruz Paul

Director

tcpaul@wcu.edu
150B Reid
828.227.3812

Theresa has been involved in career and professional development in higher education since 2005. She has experience assisting students with career counseling, resume and cover letter development, interviewing strategies, job and internship searching, and career planning. Theresa has worked at William Paterson University in New Jersey as an Assistant Director, at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan as an Associate Director of Academic Internships and currently at Western Carolina University in North Carolina as Director.  Theresa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Masters of Education degree in Professional Counseling from William Paterson University, a second Masters of Education degree in High and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Western Carolina University. 

Adam Ray

Associate Director of Employer Engagement

caray@wcu.edu
151H Reid
828.227.3171

Adam has been an employee of Western Carolina University since 2016. He began as an Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions working specifically with Transfer students and then, in 2019, transitioned to recruitment aligned with First-Year/Freshman students. In his current role, Adam conducts employer outreach strategies and assists employers in their conversations with students through on-campus events. Adam holds a B.A. in History (2013), a B.S. in Social Science Education (2013), and a M.Ed. in Higher Education Student Affairs (2016) all from Western Carolina University as well as an Ed.S. in Higher Education (2022) from Appalachian State University.  

Carrie Hachadurian

Associate Director of Career Integrated Learning

Liaison to College of Arts & Sciences, College of Health & Human Sciences, and College of Engineering & Technology
   
cphachadurian@wcu.edu 
150L Reid
828.227.3888

Carrie has been an employee at Western Carolina University since 2008. She began as an Administrative Support Specialist in the Writing and Learning Commons before becoming the Student Employment Specialist for the Career and Professional Development Center in January 2013. Carrie is currently the Assistant Director of Student Development and oversees the coordination of campus partnerships and career education for students. Carrie holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Professional Writing and a minor in Communications. She obtained her M.Ed. in Higher Education Student Affairs at Western Carolina University.

Heather Gordon

Associate Director of DegreePlus

Liaison to the Brinson Honors College and USI/LEAD Courses

hgordon@wcu.edu 
150J Reid
828.227.3815

Heather has been an employee at Western Carolina University since 2022. Prior to leading DegreePlus Heather managed youth development programming in the WNC summer camp industry, served as a regional coordinator for WNC Nonprofit Pathways, and most recently as the 4-H Agent with NC Cooperative Extension in Jackson County. Through DegreePlus Heather helps provide opportunities for students to add to the content of their academic studies through experiential experiences in leadership, teamwork, professionalism, and cultural responsiveness. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Warren Wilson College and a Master’s in Public Affairs from WCU.

Carla Espinoza

Assistant Director of Experiential Education

Liaison to College of Education & Allied Professions and the College of Business.
   
cespinozasalinas@wcu.edu 
151C Reid
828.227.3891

Carla has been an employee of Western Carolina University since 2021. She began her time at WCU as an Academic Advisor working at the Advising Center. Before joining the CCPD team, Carla was an established professional in varying career fields. In Academia, Carla worked for various institutions ranging from John Hopkins University to the University of Phoenix, where she held various roles including being a Mental Health Counselor, Resident Assistant, Career Advisor, Academic Advisor to working for Media and Communications departments. Outside of Academia, Carla has worked for Fortune 500 Corporate Companies as a Talent Acquisition and Retention Manager, and Corporate Internal Recruiter II. She has also worked as a Bilingual Clinical Case Manager, and Foster Parent Recruiter in Therapeutic Foster Care. In her current role, Carla serves as a lead for the experiential education program at Western Carolina University by working 1:1 with students to develop career-related skills and encourage students to participate in experiential opportunities. She also manages faculty and campus partner relationships, works with the employer relations team, and creates student development components of the program. Carla holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Creative Writing from the State University of New York at Binghamton University, and a Master of Arts degree in Applied Psychology from New York University.

April McNiff

Assistant Director of Student Development

Liaison to the Belcher College of Fine & Performing Arts and Campus Partners.

amcniff@wcu.edu 
151G Reid
828.227.3884

April has been an employee at Western Carolina University since 2023. Prior to WCU, April worked as High School Partnership Coordinator at Southwestern Community College. In this role, she was responsible for developing and implementing partnerships with local high schools to increase college access and success for students. She is a passionate and experienced student affairs and customer service professional with progressive leadership in the higher education setting. She is currently the Assistant Director of Student Development at Western Carolina University, where she oversees the coordination of campus partnerships and career education for students. April has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Photography and a minor in Art History from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She obtained her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership at Columbus State University. 

Julia Elder

Career Counselor

jelder@wcu.edu
151B Reid
828.227.2971

Julia has been an employee at Western Carolina University since 2021. She works directly with students in one-on-one appointments and workshops to help them develop their career skills. These include resume and cover letter writing, job and internship searching, interviewing, and networking. She also counsels students in major and career exploration and graduate school preparation. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition & Dietetics from Clemson University and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Carolina University.

Trina Royar

Employer Relations Manager

kproyar@wcu.edu
151I Reid
828.227.3856

Trina joined the CCPD after a long career in event planning, and in her previous role, responsible for the Mountain Heritage Day Festival here at Western Carolina University for 7 years. She is a former events manager for the City of Asheville, served as Executive Director of the Haywood County Arts Council, was a manager of the Biltmore Estate Special Projects group (Concerts, Festivals, and Programming), and founded Fiddlehead Music and Dance Camp and weekend festivals. She has served as chair of Asheville's Downtown After-Five entertainment committee and is a long-time member of both the national and regional dance scene.  Trina moved to WNC in the late '80s to dance professionally and tour with the Green Grass Cloggers.

Tara Smith

Administrative Support Associate

tysmith@wcu.edu 
150A Reid
828.227.3626

Tara Smith joined the CCPD in September 2021. Before coming to WCU she worked in various pediatric medical offices as a medical assistant and office manager.

Janet Duah

Graduate Assistant

careerservices@wcu.edu 

Janet is a first-year masters student in the Higher Education Student Affairs program here at Western Carolina University. Janet works with students to provide one-on-one counseling, workshops, and events related to career-topics. She also helps in the Career Studio and on special projects.