Fridays with ITDS — March 27

From Concept to Reality – Bringing Experiential Education to Your Classroom

Experiential education gives faculty a powerful way to bring concepts to life, helping students apply what they learn in the classroom to the real world. The Office for Experiential Education and Career Connections (EECC) joins Fridays with ITDS to share more about experiential education initiatives at Montclair and the role EECC plays in supporting faculty and student success. Dr. Chantelle Wright, Dan Loughrey, and Armine Khudinyan will provide an overview of how they partner with faculty to integrate experiential learning into courses, define what experiential education means at Montclair, and highlight current employer expectations and hiring trends shaping today’s workforce.

Chantelle K. Wright, Ed.D., serves as the Assistant Vice Provost for Experiential Education and Career Connections at Montclair State University. She has 17 years of experience in college career counseling, particularly with multi-ethnic and multi-generational populations. Dr. Wright holds a proven track record of success in increasing student internship engagement, developing innovative programs that address equity gaps, and securing grant funding to support student career outcomes. She has expertise in career development, program assessment, budget management, and staff supervision. Her scholarly interests include leadership development for women in higher education and career advising for marginalized populations. She enjoys collaborating with staff across institutions and supporting faculty in embedding career planning strategies into their classrooms.

Dan Loughrey is the Director of Career Outcomes at Montclair State University’s Office of Experiential Education and Career Connections. His work focuses on measuring students’ post-graduation outcomes and providing strategic support on improving those outcomes. Dan’s 10+ years in experiential learning offices and 3 years in the private business world inform his work with faculty, staff, and the greater Montclair community. He received his Masters from the SIT Graduate Institute and his Bachelors from Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Armine Khudinyan is a higher education professional with a focus on student career development and experiential learning. She currently serves as an Employment Success Specialist at Montclair State University, where she partners with employers to create job and internship opportunities for students. Armine plans and manages recruitment initiatives, including career and internship fairs, alumni-led mentorship programs and networking sessions, creating opportunities for students to explore careers and build their professional network. Before moving into higher education, Armine worked as a technical recruiter, which gives her a well-rounded understanding of both sides of the hiring process. She uses that experience to help employers connect with qualified students and develops programs that prepare students with the tools and platforms they need to be career-ready.