Under the guidance of a new executive director, the F. David Fowler Career Center advanced a significant data-collection initiative aimed at broadening job recruitment, boosting the school’s rankings, forging new corporate partnerships, and helping students and alumni achieve their career aspirations.
“I saw GWSB as a sleeping giant. If we have the right strategy and talent in career services, we can take this sleeping giant and do great things,” said Cassin Dyson, the career center’s Blaser Family Endowed Executive Director. “We have momentum… and it is my intention to make Fowler the top career service in the Northeast.
“We are well positioned to do that,” he added. “Right now, we are laying the foundation.”
One of the pivotal developments under Dyson is a system for detailed tracking of student employment outcomes. Dyson, who joined the center in January, said the information will enable the career center to better attract new employers and develop a strategic plan. The data will also be readily available to Bloomberg and U.S. News & World Report for their business school rankings.
The data is being gathered through professional outcome surveys that students complete. The information gleaned will help the school to understand what a highly engaged GW Business student looks like for every degree program, opening the way for more targeted marketing materials. It will also be used to help students get on successful career pathways.
“Students want to stand out, to be memorable when they’re talking to potential employers,” he explained. “We’re asking, ‘Who got there ahead of you and what did they do to get there?’ We have also effectively started launching corporate partnerships that will contribute to building pipelines to premier employers. We’re going to teach students how to network with decision makers rather than with recruiters.”
Other developments include the fall 2025 launch of a C-suite executive speakers series and efforts to engage alumni in a more dynamic way, opening greater career fair networking opportunities for students. He said the center will also work on building a pipeline to internships and mentoring with alumni who are entrepreneurs.
“The more engaged our alumni are in the career outcomes of our students, the more everyone benefits,” Dyson said. “I believe GW has very strong special alumni. I want to put GW School of Business talent in front of them.”
The career center has also expanded its real-life consultancy and mentorship opportunities through its Careers360 program and revamped the resources it provides students, include new resume templates, cover letters, and employment tips.