Carolyn has been proudly part of the ASU community since 2007 (with one brief detour into the world of corporate events—great budgets, missed the students). She currently serves as the Senior Director of Student Engagement at ASU’s West Valley campus, where she leads event strategy, builds community partnerships, and supports the campus’s role in advancing the West Valley Forward initiative. Her work is rooted in connection—between students, colleagues, ideas, and the surrounding community.
With a lifetime spent in education—and a few side quests in nonprofit development, professional speaking, weekend sewing marathons, and camping on the Mogollon Rim—Carolyn brings her whole self to every project, personal or professional. She’s worked across several ASU campuses, including Polytechnic and Tempe, but proudly calls West Valley campus her home.
She thrives on rapid innovation, teaches a course every semester, and loves reimagining what’s possible. Carolyn believes deeply in the power of teamwork and collaboration—because that’s how student engagement grows, summer camps sell out, and cross-campus partnerships thrive. At West Valley campus, if you step up to the plate, you’re part of the team. We want everyone in the game.
Carolyn also speaks regularly across ASU and in the greater community, sharing insights on leadership, workplace culture, and student engagement. Her most requested talks include The Power of Positivity in Leadership, which explores encouragement as a leadership superpower (without sounding like a motivational poster); Getting Involved at ASU: Where Passion Meets Purpose, a fun and practical session on helping students and staff find their niche on campus; and Beyond the Job Description: Empowering Your Student Team, where she offers tips on mentoring student workers without micromanaging. She also delivers Joy at Work: How to Create a Culture of Encouragement, full of high-fives, trust-building, and fewer eye-rolls; and Event Planning When It’s Not Your Job, designed for all those who find themselves leading events with zero training and zero time—but still want to make it great.