Biography

Dr. Rachel Larson is the Assistant Dean of Academic and Career Development at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business. In this role, she oversees the College's career center, undergraduate academic advising, student engagement, and enrollment management offices. Her teams help current and prospective students succeed in college and their professional careers. She is the faculty advisor for the College of Business Student Advisory Board and the Nebraska circle of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), a national leadership honor society.

Larson co-founded the College of Business Career Center in 2011 and served as its inaugural director. During her tenure leading the office, the Business Career Center was ranked #3 (2022, 2018) and #4 (2021, 2017) in the world by Financial Times and received The Career Leadership Collective's Career Innovation Showcase award (2019) and NACE Career Excellence award honorable mention (2021). Larson developed and coordinated the Professional Enhancement Program (PrEP), a series of four one-credit hour required classes to develop confident, professional, and connected graduates for lifelong career success. Prior to joining the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she spent five years at the University of Connecticut’s Center for Career Development where she coordinated the Peer Career Advisor program and Explore, a nationally-recognized four-semester career development program for sophomore and junior students.

Larson’s research on newcomer adjustment has been published in the Human Resource Development Review journal and HR Magazine. She presented at numerous national and regional conferences, including the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), The Career Leadership Collective, and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). An active member of NACE, she serves on the Board of Directors and several national committees, and in 2016-2018, she served as the Hire Big 10+ Career Services Consortium’s vice-chair.  

Larson holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut.

Preferred Pronouns: she/her/hers

Publications/Articles

• Miller, G. A., Grubb, K., Calhoon, M. T., & Larson, R. (2017). Career services slack chat: Career peer educators. [Blog post].
• Klemme Larson, R. E., & Bell, A. A. (2013). Newcomer adjustment among recent college graduates: An integrative literature review. Human Resource Development Review, 12(3), 284-307.

Conference Papers

• Klemme Larson, R. E., & Bell, A. A. (2013). Adjusting to work life: Individual factors that impact young adults' success in the workplace the first year after graduation. Paper presented at the Adult Education Research Conference, St. Louis, MO. https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2013/papers/28

Selected Presentations

• Hageman, J., & Larson, R. (2020, April). Scaling career curriculum to maximize student learning and staff time. The Career Leadership Collective 2020 Annual Conference. Talk presented at The Career Leadership Collective national conference, Scottsdale, AZ.
• Hageman, J., Caldwell, P., & Larson, R. (2019, June). Leveraging peer coaches in career curriculum. The Career Leadership Collective Accelerator Webinar Series. Webinar presented for The Career Leadership Collective, Online.
• Spier, C., & Larson, R. (2019, May). Assessing with purpose: Best practices for incorporating assessment into strategic planning. Nebraska College Career Services Association (NCCSA) Annual Conference. Talk presented at the NCCSA conference, Omaha, NE.
• Larson, R., Berge, J., Hageman, J., Sewell, K., & Hauge, K. (2017. June). Expanding peer feedback into career programming. NACE Conference & Expo. Talk presented at the National Association of Colleges & Employers national conference, Las Vegas, NV.
• Larson, R., & Marsh Finco, J. (2017, February). Office-wide mentorships: A new twist to professional development. Hire Big 10+ Consortium Best Practices Call. Webinar presented for the Hire Big 10+ Consortium, Online.
• Larson, R., & Hageman, J. (2016, May). More than a number: Enhancing student engagement in a high enrollment course. Innovation in Pedagogy and Technology Symposium. Talk presented at the Innovation in Pedagogy & Technology Symposium, Lincoln, NE.
• Smith, K. K., Larson, R., Berge, J., & Eastwood, L. (2013, June). Centralized, decentralized, or… hybrid career services? A smart solution to enhance the employer experience. NACE Conference & Expo. Talk presented at the National Association of Colleges & Employers national conference, Orlando, FL.
• Jones, C., & Larson, R. (2012, March). Directed e-journaling as a student development tool. NASPA Annual Conference. Talk presented at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators national conference, Phoenix, AZ.
• Larson, R. (2011, June). Leading with your strengths: A new tool for house directors. AFLV National House Director Conference. Talk presented at the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values national house directors conference, Providence, RI.
• Larson, R. (2010, February). Maximizing the middle years: Exploring career programming for second- and third-year students. NACE Webinar. Webinar presented for the National Association of Colleges & Employers, Online.
• Larson, R., Timm, C., & Davis, G. (2009, June). Back to the classroom: An inside look at the doctoral experience. NACE Conference & Expo. Panel presented at the National Association of Colleges & Employers national conference, Las Vegas, NV.
• Larson, R. (2009, June). Maximizing the middle years: Exploring career programming for second- and third-year students. NACE Conference & Expo. Talk presented at the National Association of Colleges & Employers national conference, Las Vegas, NV.
• Larson, R., Jones, C., & Davis, G. (2008, June). Back to the classroom: An inside look at the doctoral experience. EACE Conference. Panel presented at the 2003 Eastern Association of Colleges & Employers Conference, Providence, RI.
• Jones, C., Monti, A., & Larson, R. (2007, November). Taking the pulse of your environment: Using environmental scanning as a program/service enhancement tool. NASPA Region I Conference. Talk presented at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators regional conference, Burlington, VT.

Undergraduate Courses

PrEP II: Career Development and Planning (BSAD 222/222H) - Focuses on career development and planning. Part of the Professional Enhancement Program (PrEP), a series of classes designed to develop professional, confident and polished students for lifelong career success.

PrEP III: Internship and Job Search Strategies (BSAD 333) - Focuses on internship/job search strategies. Part of the Professional Enhancement Program (PrEP), a series of classes designed to develop professional, confident and polished students for lifelong career success.

PrEP IV: Professional and Life Skills (BSAD 444) - Focuses on professional and life skills. Part of the Professional Enhancement Program (PrEP), a series of classes designed to develop professional, confident and polished students for lifelong career success.

Teaching Interests

• Career Development
• Career Readiness
• Internship and Job Search Strategies

Professional Service

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 2005-Present

• NACE Board of Directors, 2023-2025
• Recruiting Standards Task Force Board Advisor, 2023-2024
• LGBTQ & Allies Affinity Group Board Advisor, 2023-2024
• Tribal Colleges & Universities Affinity Group Board Advisor, 2023-2024
• Recruiting Standards Task Force Member, 2022-2023
• NACE National Conference Program Committee Co-Chair, 2021-2022
• Sourcing and Nomination Committee Member, 2019-2020
• Principles of Ethical Professional Practice Committee Member, 2018-2019
• NACE National Conference Program Committee Member, 2017-2018
• Education and Training Strategic Priority Committee Member, 2008-2009
• Leadership Development Program Participant, 2008-2009

The Career Leadership Collective, 2018-Present

• Mastermind Participant, 2019-2020

Hire Big 10 Plus Consortium, 2011-Present

• Directors Knowledge Community Co-Chair, 2023-Present
• Mentorship Committee Member, 2012-2020
• Vice-Chair, 2016-2018

Nebraska College Career Services Association (NCCSA), 2011-Present

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Academic Advising Association, 2011-Present

Midwest Association of Colleges and Employers (MWACE), 2017-2019

Selected Institutional Service

• College of Business Executive Committee Member, November 2019-Present
• College of Business Scholarships, Honors, & Awards Committee Member, January 2020-Present
• College of Business Student of the Month Committee Member, August 2020-Present
• Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Search Committee Member, May 2019-October 2019
• College of Business Strategic Planning Committee Member, January 2019-April 2019
• College of Business Dean Search Committee Member, August 2017-December 2017

Awards

• Carl A. Donaldson Award for Excellence in Management, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2019
• College of Business Dean's Coin, 2019
• Executive Vice Chancellor Staff Leadership Academy Executive Certificate in Leadership, 2018-2019

Certifications

• Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, July 2019-Present

Selected Media Placement

• "Best places for summer jobs.", WalletHub.com, May 2019.
• "Real life 101: How HR can help young alumni graduate to their first job.", HR Magazine, May 2014.