Ashley Rippey
Executive Director
Ashley Rippey has been working at Penn State since 2012 and within Smeal since 2014. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Ad/PR from Penn State in 2007 as well as a Master of Science in School Counseling from the University of Scranton in 2010. Her work history includes experience in local government communications, marketing and event planning, corporate marketing, university admissions, and real estate.
As Executive Director of the Business Career Center, her role is to oversee overarching policies and resources to ensure that the BCC staff can meet their mission of helping students meet their career goals. Her favorite part of her job at the BCC is working with our amazing Smeal students to help them reach their career goals.
In her spare time, Ashley enjoys cheering on Penn State (football, wrestling, baseball, and volleyball are her favorites!), the Braves, and the Steelers, hiking, traveling to the US National Parks, completing home improvement projects, and spending time with her husband, son, and two dogs. Ashley’s favorite things about Penn State are the community and the traditions. She says, “There are Penn Staters everywhere and once you meet one, you feel like you’ve met a family member!”
Thompson Harner
Director of Employer Relations (Undergraduate)
Thompson Harner joined Penn State (Smeal) in July 2018. However, had been working with the office in an external capacity for several years. Thompson graduated from the Smeal College of Business with an Accounting and International Business degree. He received a second Bachelor’s from the College of Liberal Arts where he obtained a French Language degree. He worked at EY (Ernst & Young LLP) as a Certified Public Accountant for several years in both the audit and advisory practices. After leaving EY for some other accounting and consulting roles, he later returned to become a campus recruiter and help hire college students to the firm. Before becoming the Director of Employer Relations for the BCC, Thompson held the position of Assistant Director of Employer Relations.
As Director of Employer Relations in the Business Career Center, Thompson helps college students get their first internship and full-job. Working with the outstanding companies that come to recruit here at Smeal, he enables them to seek the talent and candidates they are looking for. He is always looking for ways to help them hire more Penn Staters! Thompson’s favorite part of working at the BCC is the buzz of career fairs outside the office while they are taking place.
In his spare time, he likes to travel to Florida and Hawaii, garden, and grill on his BBQ. Thompson’s favorite thing about Penn State is that it is a family and a brand. He says, “It is recognized worldwide. We help each other out when in need and are humble about the great experiences that we had during our education and in our professional and personal lives”.
Tina Rose
Director of Professional Development and Programming
Mrs. Tina Rose received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She then went onto pursue her Master’s degree in Education from Bloomsburg University in 2002. Prior to her employment at Penn State, Tina worked in the social services field in mental health and in child welfare as a counselor and social worker.
Tina Rose began her Penn State career at the Wilkes-Barre campus in January of 2008 as a part-time Career and Technical degree counselor that required her to travel between campuses providing support to the career services staff and STEM degree faculty. Tina then went on to secure a position at Penn State Schuylkill in November 2010 as Coordinator of Career Services, Student Leadership, and Community Service. In this role, Tina provided all career-related services to the campus, planned and implemented all community service events on and off-campus, and led student leadership initiatives. She also advised their campus Schuylkill THON for nearly a decade raising more than $260,000 to date to help children and families fighting pediatric cancer. For the last five years, Tina has served as Coordinator of Career Services and Community Service.
Due to Tina’s passion for service and ability to connect with students, she was asked to co-facilitate a course in the Civic and Community Engagement minor. After accompanying a colleague on an embedded course travel trip to Honduras in 2018, Ms. Rose incorporated the trip into her own class so that students could have that option of this experiential learning experience and thus adding it to their co-curricular transcript. Students had the option to travel to Honduras as part of a medical brigade helping children and families suffering from malnutrition. She was super excited to bring this trip to Smeal in March 2024 where six students traveled as part of the brigade from several different colleges throughout Penn State.
During the 2019 and 2020 semesters, Tina had been a key player in developing and supporting the new co-op program at Penn State Schuylkill. During this time she was involved with employer engagement and creating career curriculum to be embedded into students’ academic plans. In addition, prior to 2020, she had been a one-person office creating and initiating all career content, programming, counseling/coaching, employer engagement, and events for students. Tina enjoyed working as the Assistant Director of Employer Engagement up until March 2022, but transitioned to her current role of Director, Undergraduate Student Programming & Development in April 2022, so she could return to directly interface with students.
Tina is a huge fan of fitness and teaches spin classes at a local gym near her home. She lives in Mountaintop, PA with her husband, Shawn. She has three children, Lauren, 23 (2023 Smeal graduate, Risk Management ), Julia, 21, (current fourth-year MAcc major) and Grant, 20, (junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering). She also adores animals and rescues English Bulldogs.
Alexandra Stossel
Change of Campus Coordinator
Alexandra Stossel has worked within Smeal at Penn State since July 2022. As the
Change of Campus Program Coordinator, Alexandra works with Smeal-tracking
students from all of the Commonwealth campuses. Alexandra’s goal is to ensure that
Smeal-tracking students are aware of, and have access to, all the resources of the
Smeal Business Career Center. Alexandra’s focus is on connecting with 2+2 students
both before and during their transition to University Park.
In addition to serving as the Change of Campus Program Coordinator, Alexandra also
meets with, and provides career coaching for, undergraduate students who spend all
four years in Smeal at University Park.
Before joining Smeal, Alexandra held roles at other universities in a tutoring center and
career centers. Her favorite part of working in the BCC is collaborating with students to
help them gain the skills and resources they need to achieve their career goals. Outside
of work, Alexandra enjoys being a musical theatre piano accompanist and training her
Border Collie.
Steven Ruhf
Career Coach - Part Time
Steve Ruhf joined the Business Career Center in August 2021 after a thirty-plus year career in CPG with a significant portion of his time spent in the consumer health care sector.
After graduating from Penn State with a B.S. in Accounting, Steve held various financial and operational roles with Armstrong World Industries and Thomasville Furniture. After receiving his MBA from the Babcock College at Wake Forest University, Ruhf spent the bulk of his career at Fleet Laboratories holding a wide variety of assignments including Regional Director of Fleet’s Asia Pacific business, VP of Global Marketing, and his final role as Chief Business Development Officer. Steve led Fleet’s M&A efforts with over $1.2 billion of deal flow between 2012 and 2017.
As a Career Coach at the Business Career Center, Steve uses his experience as a hiring manager and leader to help Smeal students reach their career goals and have fun with the process along the way. He is excited about the opportunity to give back to Penn State.
In his spare time, Steve enjoys skiing, sailing, and watching Penn State athletics. He also enjoys spending time with his wife and family, which includes three other MBA’s. There is nothing like a family dinner discussion about valuation multiples.
Brenda Fabian
Senior Director of Professional Graduate Career Services
Brenda Fabian leads the development and management of professional graduate career services for the Penn State Smeal Business Career Center. She works with residential and online graduate business programs and has previous admissions and employer relations experience from Smeal.
Prior to joining Smeal, Brenda served as the Career Development Center director at Susquehanna University. She created, facilitated, and taught university courses including an Introduction to Professional Development course that was deemed an essential curriculum component for the Sigmund Weis School of Business.
Brenda holds a Master of Business Administration from Penn State World Campus, a Master of Arts degree in Student Personnel from Slippery Rock University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Saint Francis University. She has worked as an admissions representative and has supervised employer relations activities for students in business and the arts and sciences.
Krista White
Program Support Assistant
Krista White has worked within Smeal at Penn State since 2011, and has worked at the university since 2000. Since coming to Penn State, she has worked in various recruiting roles at Bank of America Career Services, the School of Hospitality, and Smeal. She enjoys helping employers and students connect through the recruiting process.
As Program Support Assistant, Krista manages the Smeal College of Business job positions and the on campus interviewing for the Business Career Center. Her favorite part about working at the BCC is everything and everyone! Krista says that “the BCC is a great team that is always willing to try new things and work towards having great customer service”.
In her spare time, Krista likes to spend time with her husband and two boys. They are always doing something with their kids’ school, sport groups, and church. She enjoys shopping for good deals and is always watching for her next one- whether it is groceries, clothes, or just any household item. Her favorite thing about Penn State is the strong connections! She loves talking with alumni that come back for recruiting that are so excited to be involved with Penn State again.
Christine Lockard
Employer Relations Engagement Coordinator (Undergraduate)
Christine Lockard has been with the Smeal Business Career Center since January 2020, having previously worked for the university from 2010 – 2015. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management from Penn State in 2015. Before joining Smeal, Christine served as a Catering Coordinator for Panera Bread and worked at the Penn State Berkey Creamery while attending Penn State.
In her role as the Employer Relations Engagement Coordinator, Christine works closely with company recruiters to plan and coordinate both in-person and virtual events. She serves as the primary point of contact for companies looking to host recruiting events with Smeal undergraduate students. Additionally, Christine collaborates with recruiters to maximize their time on campus, helping them effectively brand their companies and create opportunities for students to learn about the organization. Christine is responsible for organizing key Business Career Center events, including the Smeal Networking Expo and the Smeal Business Career Fair.
Christine’s favorite part of working in the BCC is collaborating with recruiters to coordinate both in-person and virtual events that create memorable experiences for students. She loves being involved in the behind-the-scenes planning that makes these events successful. Additionally, she values the opportunity to work alongside a fantastic team in the BCC office.
In her spare time, Christine is passionate about traveling, with a goal of visiting all 50 states. She is passionate about baking and finds joy in creating new desserts for her coworkers and friends to try. She also loves to read, finding that a good book can transport her to another world and provide a welcome escape from everyday life.
Christine’s favorite thing about Penn State is the sense of community and getting to meet a wide range of individuals. She also loves being at her alma mater, We Are… Penn State!
Casey Dubbs
Office Manager
Casey Dubbs has been working within Penn State University since July of 2018 and within Smeal College of Business, Business Career Center since March of 2019. Prior to becoming a Penn State employee, Casey worked in the veterinary industry for 20 years. She worked in various roles throughout the industry which included client service specialist, business management and veterinary practice sales and appraisals.
As the Office Manager, Casey is responsible for the management of administrative functions within the Business Career Center, some of which include – budgeting, financial support, and oversight of the student staff in addition to other duties. Her favorite part about working at the BCC is being part of a team that is extremely passionate about helping students work towards achieving their goals and dreams.
In her spare time, Casey enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, Cameron – 19, Carley – 17, Carver – 10, four dogs and seven cats. She loves that Penn State offers vast opportunities not only to students but also to university employees.
Sara Craig
Career Coach
Sara Craig joined the Business Career Center in January 2024 as a part-time career coach. Sara earned her undergraduate degree in HDFS from Penn State as well as a MA in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College, CUNY. She has a background in psychology, human resources, community relations and teaching (both at a college-level – classes such as intro to psychology, career development, leadership and motivation – and in the community for a job readiness program).
Sara has been coaching for over a decade. She started coaching because she loves to discover potential in people and opportunity in their circumstances. Her experience ranges from working with businesses, individuals navigating various challenges, solopreneurs, to clients in all levels of career transition. She has her own coaching business plus works as a communication specialist for a well-known professional development coaching company.
As a PSU alum it is meaningful to rejoin the community to support students as they explore, prepare and build solid foundations for the next stages of their professional journeys.
