Dear Student,
We are pleased to share that Dr. Alayna Hayes, EdD, MBA has been appointed as the inaugural Associate Dean of Career Services for the School of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering, effective April 13, 2026.
Reporting to Dean Bárbara Brizuela in Arts and Sciences and Dean Kyongbum Lee in Engineering, this new role was created to shape the future of career services at Tufts by leading the talented team in the Career Center and continuing and strengthening the professional development of students through partnerships with faculty, staff, employers, and alumni. The creation of this role reflects a shared commitment across the schools––and the university more broadly––to student success by strengthening connections between academic learning, experiential opportunities, and meaningful post-graduate outcomes. As the Associate Dean, Dr. Hayes will provide vision and leadership for the Tufts Career Center, working across AS&E to advance the work of our Career Center through a coordinated, student-centered approach to experiential learning, career readiness, and post-graduate success. An important aspect of her role will be to continue to guide the integration of curricular and experiential learning in ways that prepare students for success in an increasingly complex global workforce. Dedicated, experienced, and with a track record of success, we have no doubt that Dr. Hayes will excel in this important new position.
Dr. Hayes brings more than 15 years of senior leadership experience spanning elite R1 universities and Fortune 500 organizations. She will join Tufts from Vanderbilt University, where she currently serves as Assistant Provost and Senior Director of the Career Center, and focuses on leading strategy that improves student engagement, employer partnerships, and career outcomes across both the undergraduate and graduate populations. Prior to Vanderbilt, Dr. Hayes held several leadership roles at Johns Hopkins University including Senior Director of Life Design-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, where she led the inaugural team supported by a major philanthropic investment. Her work focused on expanding access to experiential learning and career opportunities for all students, including first-generation, limited-income, and historically marginalized students, while also growing employer partnerships and strengthening inclusive career pipelines. Earlier in her career, Dr. Hayes worked in the pharmaceutical and animal health industries, including roles at Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health), GlaxoSmithKline, and Royal Canin, bringing valuable cross-sector perspective to her work in higher education.
Dr. Hayes is also a sought-after speaker and recognized thought leader in career development and higher education strategy. She regularly presents at regional and national conferences on building career ecosystems, leading organizational change, and advancing equity-centered career development.
We are excited to welcome Dr. Hayes to Tufts and look forward to the impact her leadership will have on integrating students’ classroom and outside of classroom experiences; and enhancing experiential learning, career readiness, and opportunities for our students. Her appointment represents an important step forward in advancing a cohesive, student-centered approach to career development that supports students during their time at Tufts and beyond.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Hayes to the Tufts community when she joins us in April!
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our many colleagues who dedicated their time and effort to finding the best candidate for this new role including the search committee, interview team, as well as the larger Career Center team.
With warm regards,
Bárbara M. Brizuela
Dean, School of Arts and Sciences
Professor of Education
Kyongbum Lee
Karol Family Professor
Dean, School of Engineering
Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
