UF Career Readiness Speaker Event with Dr. Mary Gatta, Director of Research and Public Policy (NACE)

As we prepare for the fall semester, we are excited to introduce expanded career learning initiatives for our UF faculty and staff partners.

To kick off the 2025-2026 academic year, the Division of Student Life is hosting Dr. Mary Gatta, the Director of Research and Public Policy from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Dr. Gatta will be visiting UF’s campus to discuss NACE’s current research on career readiness, competency and skill development, and the role that faculty and higher education professionals play in strengthening post-graduation outcomes.

Dr. Gatta will be hosting a keynote session, open to all faculty and staff interested in learning more about NACE’s research around career readiness. Dr. Gatta will present key findings that inform our work in higher education, share observations from her research, and provide action items that faculty and staff can apply to their work.

Details
Date: Wednesday, September 10th
Time: 9:00am-10:30am
Location: Reitz Union Chamber- Ground Level, Reitz Union

We look forward to welcoming this faculty member, researcher, and career readiness advocate to our campus.

Register to Attend

About NACE:

Established in 1956, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is a professional association that connects over 17,000 college career services professionals, early talent recruiting and university relations professionals, and the business solution providers that serve this community.

NACE is the leading source of information on the employment of the college educated, and forecasts hiring and trends in the job market; tracks starting salaries, recruiting and hiring practices, and student attitudes and outcomes; and identifies best practices and benchmarks.

NACE provides its members with high-quality resources and research; networking and professional development opportunities; and standards, ethics, advocacy, and guidance on key issues.

About Dr. Mary Gatta:

Dr. Mary Gatta has over twenty years of teaching, research and advocacy experience working on issues of career education and workforce development in colleges and non-profit organizations. Currently Dr. Gatta is the Director of Research and Policy at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), where she leads research on the employment of the college educated.

Prior to joining NACE, Dr. Gatta served as an Associate Professor of Sociology at City University of New York-Guttman and Faculty Director of the Ethnographies of Work program. In addition, she was the Research Director at the Rutgers University Center for Women and Work and a Senior Scholar at Wider Opportunities for Women in Washington DC. She currently teaches online at Rutgers University.