F. John Paul Andrews has been chosen as director of the Career Development Center at West Virginia Universitys College of Business and Economics after a national search.

Andrews was graduate placement center director at the University of Miami School of Business and before that career center director at Syracuse University School of Management. He began duties at WVU on July 1.

Andrews will work with employers and alumni to increase studentsawareness of career opportunities and to increase the pool of recruiters who hire B&E graduates. Andrews will also help develop a relationship between students and alumni for job and internship referrals.

At Syracuse University, Andrews introduced and expanded corporate and alumni contacts to increase employment and internship opportunities. He also initiated a Career Alumni Network at the University of Miami.

“Offering job and internship placement help to our students is a high priority in the College of Business and Economics, and I believe Mr. Andrews, given his extensive background, will create a strong link with those seeking our students that will prove beneficial for them and certainly to our students,”said B&E Dean Jay Coats.

Tom Witt, associate dean of research and outreach, said Andrewsprevious work in academic placement centers demonstrates his ability to link the business community with WVU faculty and students. Construction on the new B&E career center, on the colleges third floor, began right after WVU s commencement. It will be open for fall semester.

In the months ahead, one of Mr. Andrews first responsibilities will be to visit with business and industry leaders to learn more about their hiring needs and skill sets required today so we can provide that information back into our academic programs,Witt said.