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/hi

Benny Belvin is a mission-driven career development leader with two decades of experience advancing student success across a range of academic institutions, including Ivy League, policy-focused, and professional schools. He specializes in building strategic, student-centered career services grounded in coaching, inclusive leadership, and data-informed planning.

For nearly three years, Benny has served as the Director of Career Development at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, where he leads efforts to connect students with meaningful opportunities, cultivate relationships with alumni and employer partners, and equip students and alumni with the tools and strategies needed to navigate a dynamic workforce. His work has strengthened employer engagement, expanded career programming, and integrated experiential learning into the student experience.

Prior to joining Friedman, Benny was Assistant Dean of Career Development at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He also spent a decade at Harvard University’s Office of Career Services, where he advised undergraduate and graduate students, developed innovative alumni engagement initiatives, and led new employer outreach.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Elmhurst College and a Master of Science in Student Affairs Administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He is an alumnus of the Harvard University Administrative Fellowship Program and the University of Oxford’s Executive Leadership Programme. Benny is also a Certified Professional Career Coach (PARWCC) and a Master Career Development Professional (NCDA).