SBS Pathways Center Team

Carol Sharick leads the SBS career team and oversees SBS career programming, advises SBS undergrads in all majors, runs the SBS Shadows program, and much more.

Meet with Carol for advanced resume and cover letter review, interview prep, networking, and career exploration, planning and strategy.

Odessa Burkett is the Associate Director of Career and Professional Development for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She focuses on career counseling, resume and cover letter writing, and interview preparation. Odessa is also a graduate of UMass Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Economics and a Masters in Higher Education. After college, she worked in Corporate Human Resources, did AmeriCorps, and took time to travel before coming to Higher Education. Odessa worked with Veteran students at the University of California, Santa Cruz before returning to her Alama Mater. She is passionate about mindfulness and other contemplative practices, traveling to new places, and seeing live music.

Rebecca Bell is the Director of High Impact Program Initiatives in the Office of Career & Professional Development in SBS. She meets with undergraduate students in all SBS majors to help with career exploration and to help develop their plans for next steps in their college journey. Rebecca previously worked in the non-profit and international sectors, and has worked on projects in several different countries. She also directs the SBS in DC internship program and loves spending time in DC and exploring other places.

The Director of Pre-Law Advising is Diane Curtis. Diane practiced law for 10 years in New York City and Springfield, Massachusetts. She has been a Pre-Law Advisor since 2004, is a member of the Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors (NAPLA), and has presented several times at the annual NAPLA conference on such topics as engaging legal alums and online advising. Diane also served previously on the National Advisory Council for Law School Transparency.

Diane is a Senior Lecturer in Legal Studies and Political Science at UMass. She has served as an adjunct instructor at the law schools of Western New England University (formerly College) and the University of Connecticut.

Diane received both her B.A. (in Comparative Literature) and her J.D. from New York University.

Explore our pre-law page on Instagram!

SBS Pathways Center Peer Advising Interns are SBS students who can provide useful insight into how to plan your SBS Pathways, which include planning for your academic, experiential, and career and professional development opportunities.  Our Peer Advisors come from all different places and backgrounds, have various SBS majors, and are sophomores, juniors and seniors.  Read their bios here!

Peer Advising drop-in hours are:

Mondays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tuesdays 10:00-11:15am, and 1:00 – 4:00pm
Fridays 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

in The SBS Pathways Center in 128 Thompson.

Malika Amandi is an Assistant Director of Career & Professional Development in the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences at UMass. Drawing from her own work experiences in the entertainment industry and as a professional development facilitator for the military, Malika brings a unique perspective to Career Services that is both approachable and practical. She has led hundreds of coaching sessions and workshops for people across a spectrum of career stages and fields – from the entertainment industry, to Silicon Valley, the non-profit sector, and academia. Malika holds a BA from Stanford University in Drama and Urban Studies and an MFA in Acting from the University of Southern California. She is also the founder of the Center for Women’s Voice, a social enterprise that helps individuals communicate authentically and powerfully in every area of their lives.

Emma is the Coordinator of Internship and Field Experiences in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She works with the Career & Professional Development team to help run experiential programs, such as the SBS in DC and SBS in Boston programs. Emma took part in the first SBS in DC cohort and is excited to help future change-makers navigate this journey. After graduating from UMass with a BA in Sociology, she served two terms with AmeriCorps in Colorado and New York. Emma’s passion lies in helping people dream ambitiously and creating a sense of belonging. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and hiking.