Connections Empowering College and Career Success

Balancing motivation, academics, and life skills, Connections is a great resource for each aspect of your life during college, emphasizing key areas like goal-setting and career planning.

Dr. Paul Gore

Paul’s efforts to promote college and career readiness, high school and college student persistence and academic success are informed by over 20 years of research, program development, implementation, evaluation, and teaching. Paul currently serves as the Dean of the College of Social Sciences, Health, and Education at Xavier University in Ohio. Paul earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University – Chicago with an emphasis in student career development, academic success, and transition. He has held academic and administrative responsibilities at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, ACT, Inc., and the University of Utah.

Paul’s research and practice efforts focus on non-cognitive and motivational aspects of academic and career success. In particular, he is interested in how secondary and post-secondary institutions use data describing the non-cognitive strengths and weaknesses of their students to promote student success and retention. He regularly consults with secondary and post-secondary institutions in the U.S. and abroad on developing and evaluating student academic and career success programs.

Paul has authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. He is the past-chair of the Society for Vocational Psychology, served as an Advisory Board member for the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, and is the current Editor of The Journal of the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Paul was the recipient of the American Council on Education Emerging Leadership Fellowship. Dr. Wade C. Leuwerke
Wade is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education, and Department Chair at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Wade has authored over 40 journal articles, book chapters, as well as national and international conference presentations. He focuses on academic and career success for students and adults. His research interests include the role of non-cognitive abilities in college and high school student success, factors that predict college major retention, the role of technology in the career development processes, and the roles and responsibilities of school counselors.
Wade has consulted with dozens of two and four year colleges and universities on improving student retention and academic performance. He has also worked as a research project manager focusing on academic and career development research to Kuder, Inc. and ACT, Inc. Wade provides executive and career coaching to Fortune 500 companies and the federal government. Dr. A.J. Metz

A.J. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah. She earned a M.Ed. in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Urban Education (specialization in Counseling Psychology) in 2005 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her research examining factors related to academic and career success in underrepresented and underserved student populations has led to numerous journal articles, book chapters, conference presentations, workshops, and faculty in-service trainings.　

A.J. has extensive teaching, counseling, and career advising experience in high schools, community colleges, and four-year public and private institutions of higher education. She is passionate about mentoring students and　recently received the University of Utah Early Career Teaching Award. She is the Head Core Values Judge for the Utah FIRST Lego League and has been on the board of directors of the Utah Psychological Association for six years, most recently serving as president.

Chapter 1: Building a Foundation for Success

Chapter 2: Thinking Critically and Setting Goals

Chapter 3: Motivation, Decision Making, and Personal Responsibility

Chapter 4: Learning Preferences

Chapter 5: Organization and Time Management

Chapter 6: Reading for College Success

Chapter 7: Taking Effective Notes

Chapter 8: Memory and Studying

Chapter 9: Performing Well On Exams

Chapter 10: Information Literacy and Communication

Chapter 11: Connecting With Others

Chapter 12: Personal and Financial Health

Chapter 13: Academic and Career Planning

Chapter 14: Celebrating Your Success and Connecting To Your Future