Career Development

The Career Development Center (CDC) empowers undergraduate and graduate students with the skills, knowledge, experiences, and connections to be successful in their futures. Our goal is for every student to graduate equipped to build the future they want.

Leader Profile

Dana Downey serves as the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Director of the Career Development Center at NYUAD. She has worked in higher education on three continents, seeking to foster cultures of curiosity and career development. She aims to connect people with each other and with opportunities, build capacity on teams, and lower barriers to access when it comes to options.

Dana is currently pursuing a PhD in Comparative International Development and Education at the University of Minnesota, and holds an MA in Counseling from the University of Texas at Austin, as well as a BS from the University of Florida. She has presented at local, regional, and international conferences about contextualized career advising, data-driven decision making, regionally relevant recruitment, and the advantage of global mobility.

Key People