Priyanka Raut was officially named associate director of University Career Services

DSA News
February 14, 2023

Priyanka Raut (she/her) has been named the associate director of University Career Services (UCS) effective January 9, 2023. Raut previously served as interim associate director of UCS and handled the day-to-day oversight of UCS.

Raut has been a career counselor at the University of Houston (UH) for over 10 years and will continue to lead University Career Services with oversight of both UH Sugar Land and Katy instructional sites. Raut will continue to serve in this role managing the daily operations at UCS and supervising a team of career development specialists. Thompson will continue as the executive director of UCS and the associate vice chancellor/vice president for Student Affairs. Dr. Thompson stated, “I am excited for Priyanka as she takes on the permanent role of Associate Director. She is an invaluable asset to our team having led career services at UH at Sugar Land and UH at Katy;, it’s wonderful to have her return to UH to help lead student career success for all students”.

Raut brings a wealth of knowledge to her new role with over 12 years of higher education experience. She led the effort to expand University Career Services to the UH Sugar Land and Katy instructional sites. Raut provided career guidance to both students and alumni while fostering collaborative relationships with Fort Bend County employers. She also facilitated relationships with faculty members at UH and was awarded a Group Teaching Excellence Award in 2020. This award was for her work with the College of Nursing’s Cougar Nurse Launch to a professional practice mode. “I am happy to manage and lead University Career Services in the Associate Director role to increase the number of experiential learning opportunities that prepares students to excel in their chosen fields. I hope to accomplish this goal by continuing to develop and build partnerships with faculty, staff, alumni and employers”, said Raut.

Raut’s expertise in career counseling includes major options, career exploration, resume review, cover letter assistance, personal statement development, job search guidance, internship assistance, interview preparation, personal branding, and career transition assistance. She has also taught career courses and is certified to administer the “Strong Interest Inventory”. Raut has exceptional skills in coaching, relationship-building, cross-functional team collaboration, and assessment committees for the Division of Student Affairs at UH. Due to her significant contributions, she received a Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services (DSAES) Outstanding Committee Contribution Award in 2016. Raut has two graduate degrees: one in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pune in India and one from the University of Kansas in Counseling Psychology. The Division for Student Affairs is proud to congratulate Raut as the permanent Associate Director for University Career Services.