Welcome to Allerton!

Hire Big10+ is a network of dedicated career services professionals from the Big Ten Schools, DePaul University, University of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame.

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Meet Our Sponsors

Platinum Level

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Gold Level

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Silver Level

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Conference Schedule

Location Key

• Trojan Ballroom (TCC B41 inside Steven & Kathryn Sample Hall, entrance facing Child’s Way) View Map 
• Tommy’s Place (basement level Inside Steven & Kathryn Sample Hall, entrance facing Downey Way)
• Tutor Campus Center (Central complex south of Child’s Way across from Tommy Trojan statue) Directions from USC Hotel 
• TCC 350-352 (“Franklin Suites”)
• TCC 224 (“First Gen Plus Success Center”)
• USC Career Center (Located in Student Union Building 110 across from TCC)
• STU B3 (Located in basement level of USC Career Center) Entrance faces TCC with doorway adjacent to Credit Union.

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Keynote Speaker

Cory Buckner is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Education for the Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs master’s program in the USC Rossier School of Education. Buckner’s expertise and interests are in intercollegiate athletics, college student development and success, mindset development, and authentic mentorship for graduate students and early-career student affairs professionals. Prior to his full-time faculty appointment at USC Rossier, Buckner taught as an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Education in the PASA program and served as the Assistant Director of Athletic Academic Support within USC’s athletics department. Before coming to USC, Buckner served in advising, personal and career development, as well as academic support leadership roles for student-athletes at both the University of Louisville and Tennessee State University. 

Dr. Buckner is a Big Ten alum having completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s at Indiana University, Bloomington before earning his EdD in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration from the USC Rossier School of Education.

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HireBig10+ Awards

Congrats to the 2025 Hire Big10+ Allerton Conference Honorees!

The awards committee consisted of past Bechtel award winners: Chris Timm, Nebraska; Jamie Macias, Wisconsin; Wil Jones, Rutgers; Pat Donahue, Indiana; and Jenny Neef, Illinois. View past winners

Join us on Tuesday, August 5th as we honor this year’s winners.

Outstanding Career Services Professional: Career Development: Joe Lovejoy, Indiana University

Under Joe’s leadership, the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington launched the Pillars Undergraduate Experience to address the critical need for every student to connect their liberal arts and sciences education with tangible career outcomes. Pillars integrates four critical components—research, career readiness, intentional life design, and immersive learning—into a cohesive and transformative program that redefines liberal arts and sciences education.

Outstanding Career Services Professional: Employer Relations: Jon Ambrose, University of Oregon

Jon brings a student-centered approach to his work, reminding his team members and our whole office that, while we want to provide exceptional customer service to employers, our primary focus is on student success. Jon has been instrumental in helping us to refine our employer events in ways that are responsive to student needs. When Jon spots an emerging student need, he won’t allow us to ignore it.

Outstanding Career Services Professional: Operations: Topher Sutton, Rutgers University

As Associate Director of Operations, Topher Sutton has transformed our office—leading major tech and facility upgrades, mentoring student staff across multiple front desks, and fostering a culture of care and connection. He oversees our Career Portrait Lounges, teaches in the FIGS Peer Instructor Course, and leads staff engagement efforts that strengthen collaboration, visibility, and student-centered service.

Outstanding Career Services Supervisor: Erin Erwin, Indiana University

Her leadership is defined by her empathy; she is attentive and responsive to both the professional and the personal needs of her team. Even though we are all busy, she is very intentional about carving out time for regular 1:1s with everyone. Her positive approach results in a Center-wide culture of teamwork, resourcefulness, accountability, and a laser focus on our students’ needs. 

Outstanding New Career Services Professional: Wes Fieldcamp, University of Southern California

Wes played an instrumental role in helping the Employer Engagement and Career Center leadership team transition from Symplicity to Handshake. Wes was key in drafting standard operating procedures and working with our 23 school-based career centers and other campus colleagues to launch and navigate the platform. He was integral to a successful Handshake launch, helping our 48,000 USC students.

Outstanding New Career Services Professional: Tiffany Johnson, University of Illinois

Shortly after Tiffany started, the team lead vacated their role. Tiffany quickly stepped up to take on a leadership role for organizing the fair – all while acclimating to a new city, new job, and an incredibly high volume of student coaching appointments. Our whole office rallied to aid in the fair execution with the team being short staffed, but Tiffany was absolutely crucial in making sure the fair went off without a hitch so our students could have the best experience possible. 

Outstanding Career Services Quiet Impact Award: Nate Hill, University of Michigan

He listens intently, invests time and energy into research and skill-building, and seeks practical solutions to complex problems. He finds possibilities when we often see roadblocks. Nate’s proactive approach not only addresses immediate needs but also exemplifies his commitment to fostering innovation and learning within our team. Nate often does this work “behind the scenes”- no one in our office fully sees the scope of what he works on. But the impact is huge.

Outstanding Career Services Quiet Impact Award: Laura Pizoli, The Ohio State University

She touches almost every aspect of our office; it is reassuring to have a knowledgeable and dedicated team member like Laura to collaborate with during these times. Laura’s willingness to promptly shift to troubleshooting mode has aided in providing employers the support they need, which, in turn, has contributed to an outstanding recruiting experience and allows us to support our vision of being the premier resource connecting engineering students and employers