New director to lead Graduate Career Connections

Karen Niparko

Karen Niparko, recently hired as director of the University of Colorado Denver Business School's Graduate Career Connections (GCC), will lead the effort to help connect employers with students seeking job opportunities and encouraging executive involvement with the school's students and faculty.

"Employers recognize the many benefits of developing a strategic relationship with a great business school," Niparko said. "Whether contributing in the classroom, sharing insights with students preparing for their careers, participating in our Leadership Café speaker series or identifying candidates to fill open positions, our hope is that the Graduate Career Connections office will become an essential resource to business leaders in this area and region."

Niparko holds a bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences from the University of Michigan and an MBA in organizational behavior and human resources management from the CU-Boulder. She also is a member of the Business School advisory board; adviser with Advisory Board Architects; and principal of Corporate Solutions Consulting Inc., a human resources/business operations consulting practice.

Niparko will serve as a key contact for employers looking for talent referrals and will orchestrate strategic networking and educational events for students. On Niparko's team is Terri Vasquez, GCC's adviser, who helps students with their job search plan and advises employers  on how to maximize the visibility of their job opportunities with students, alumni and faculty. Terri also manages the day-to-day functions of the GCC office.

GCC is the newest resource from the Business School connecting businesses with current business students and alumni. The GCC collaborates and partners with UC Denver's Career Center and Experiential Learning Center to facilitate career opportunities for Business School students and alumni.

"Working in the human capital and talent acquisition field for many years, the GCC team knows networking and connecting people is how the game is played," Niparko said. "Those students who network effectively and take ownership for managing their career search have the greatest chance of landing the opportunities they want, even in a challenging business environment. Our job is to help employers connect with these students and guide them toward their next top-performing employee."

The Business School at UC Denver is the largest accredited graduate school of business in Colorado with more than 19,000 alumni. The school serves more than 1,200 graduate students and 1,400 undergraduate students each year. Currently, the school is preparing to move into a new location at 1475 Lawrence St. in downtown Denver. The new building will serve as a hub for all aspects of business education for students, faculty and community business partners.