Team

Who we are.  

The Ellie Block and Family Career Services Center at the Friedman School is committed to helping our students and graduates leverage their outstanding education to find impactful and fulfilling careers. Our career coaches leverage their many years of experience, career development training and practice, and industry and employer insights, to assist students and alumni. 

What we do. 

We provide holistic career education, planning, and job search support to engage students at each stage of their education, from incoming student to alumni. We empower students to leverage their educational experience and career ambitions and translate these into meaningful and impactful work over the course of their lifetimes. 

How we do it.

The Ellie Block and Family Career Services team achieves its mission by helping students and alumni:

  • Explore their interests, values, and experiences and consider how to connect these to the world of work;
  • Develop and hone key career and job development skills such as building relationships; creating a resume, cover letter, and professional online profile; practicing interviewing strategies and salary negotiation techniques; and 
  • Cultivate jobs, internships, and other professional opportunities through relationship development with employers and creating immersive events to facilitate student and employer connections. 

Friedman School alumni work in government and non-governmental agencies, as well as private organizations in the United States and throughout the world. Their work significantly impacts nutrition, food security, and sustainability, as well as health, wellness, environment, education, public policy, and other key sectors. It is our pleasure to be a resource and partner for students and alumni as their career develops at the Friedman School.

Benny Belvin, MS, CPCC

Director of Career Services

Pronouns: He/him/his

I’ve been working as a career development professional for nearly two decades, including 10 years at Harvard University’s Office of Career Services where I designed innovative alumni engagement programs, led new employer outreach initiatives, and advised undergraduate and graduate students. Most recently, I served as Assistant Dean of Career Development for the Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University where I helped the center develop a more flexible career programming structure, increase employer partnerships, improve outcomes data collection and management, and implement experiential learning programs.

I’m looking forward to working with the Friedman School Community to continue connecting students to opportunities, engaging our organizational and alumni partners to develop relationships and resources, and equipping students and alumni with the tools and strategies to successfully navigate the world of work. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in History from Elmhurst College and a Master’s of Science in Student Affairs Administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. I completed the Harvard University Administrative Fellowship Program and the University of Oxford’s Executive Leadership Programme. I’m designated as a Certified Professional Career Coach by the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARWCC) and a Master Career Development Professional (MCDP) by the National Career Development Association (NCDA).