AVP Audra Verrier Receives MPACE Rising Star Award

Audra Verrier, Ph.D., associate vice provost for Career and Professional Development, has received the Rising Star Award from the Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers (MPACE) Rising Star Award, Enrollment Management announced. Verrier, recognized for her outstanding contributions to the professional organization, was presented with the award Dec. 5 at the association's annual conference in San Diego, California.

"The Mountain Pacific Association of Colleges and Employers was proud to present Dr. Audra Verrier with our Rising Star Award," said Elizabeth Montgomery, president of MPACE. "The award is presented annually to one college member who has been a part of the association for three to five years, has become actively engaged, and has had a positive impact."

Verrier earned the award for recent participation within the organization, including co-chairing the sponsorship committee for 2024, exceeding the organization's sponsorship revenue by 40%, and bringing in multiple new sources. She was also a panel participant in the breakout panel "From Classroom to Career - Embedding Social Capital Curriculum to Tap into the Hidden Internship/Job Market," and plans to chair the sponsorship committee again in 2025.

Verrier, who joined LMU in January 2023, has made her mark on Enrollment Management and CPD with impactful outcomes-focused programming for LMU students, fostering professional connections that extend far beyond their time on the bluff. Recent notable CPD initiatives include the expansion of the popular Career Treks program, the launch of the virtual career center at careers.lmu.edu, and the awarding of nearly $100k in summer 2024 to help 73 LMU students pursue unpaid or underpaid summer internships.

Verrier has been a leader in higher education for 20 years, managing departments and teams that focus on career preparation, leadership development, experiential learning, and community engagement for Sonoma State University, California Institute of Integral Studies, Brandeis University, and the University of Maine.