Dee Polat joined the Feld Center for Career & Alumni Engagement in January 2024 as the Director of Alumni Engagement., bringing with her over a decade of experience in the realm of alumni engagement. Her diverse background encompasses a range of skills, including strategic planning, alumni initiatives, fundraising, industry relations, career services, program and events management, CRM expertise, and marketing.

In her most recent position as a Career Counselor and GEL Instructor at California State University, Dee was dedicated to guiding students and alumni in their career exploration and development. She also served as the career liaison to the College of Business Administration and taught the mandatory career readiness course for freshmen students.

During her tenure as the Assistant Director of Alumni Career Engagement at the University of San Diego, Dee played a pivotal role in launching several innovative initiatives aimed at supporting a community of over 65K alumni including a campuswide mentorship program, an alumni job board, and an engaging webcast series. Additionally, she co-led the university’s annual hiring campaign, contributing to its success. In her earlier role as the Associate Director of Alumni Engagement for St. Joseph’s University, Dee managed recent alumni programming, and re-branded and expanded the university’s mentorship and webinar programs for the Brooklyn campus. As a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, Dee also served as an outplacement coach at the global job search assistance firm IMPACT Group, providing personalized guidance to employees in their job search efforts.

Dee’s educational background includes a BA in international relations from Bilkent University in Turkey, a master’s in public affairs from Indiana University, a Master’s degree in leadership studies from the University of San Diego, and a Diploma in Advanced Coaching from New York University. She is a certified CliftonStrengths, Strong Interest Inventory, and MBTI practitioner. Outside of her professional pursuits, Dee is a mom of three girls who loves baking and ice skating.