Meet Our Team
Thank you for visiting the Laney Graduate School’s Office of Professional Development and Career Planning. Our mission is to provide opportunities for LGS graduate students to build professional skills and join professional communities that will serve them while at Emory and into their careers.
Our team offers a range of professional development and career planning programming throughout the year, on topics such as:
- Teaching, including the TATTO program
- Ethics, including the Jones Program in Ethics
- Communication
- Interviewing and Networking
- Giving and Receiving Feedback
- The Job Search
We also connect advanced students to internal and external funding opportunities and offer special funding opportunities to support students’ professional development.
The Professional Development and Career Planning Team
Katy Leonard, PhD, Assistant Dean
Katy oversees the development of all PDCP programming and resources, including the Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity (TATTO) program. She is available to meet one-on-one with graduate students about their career development plans.
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Mike Suh, PhD, Associate Director
Mike oversees the LGS advanced fellowships competitions, the Professional Development Support Funds program, and the Jones Program in Ethics (JPE). Mike is available to meet one-on-one with graduate students who have questions about these areas.
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Demitria Sanders, MA, Program Coordinator
Demitria manages the logistics of all professional development programming and coordinates career coaching appointments and workshops.
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Helen Klepac, EdS, GCDF, Career Coach
Helen is a Career Coach whose approach to coaching is holistic, solution-focused, and strength-based. She is certified as a Global Career Development Facilitator as well as an integrative Wellness Life Coach.
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Ariela Freedman, PhD, MPH, MAT, Career Coach
Ariela is a proud Laney graduate, having earned her PhD in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education in 2011. Prior to joining LGS, she served on the faculty at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health for several years.
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