Meet the Staff

Dr. Dawn Girardelli is the Interim Regional Dean and CEO of Northeastern University, San Francisco & Silicon Valley. In this role she is responsible defining and executing the campus strategic plan, which includes expanding academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate level, providing innovative and beneficial co-curricular programming, overseeing campus operations and expansion activities, and building experiential learning partnerships with companies and community organizations.

Girardelli is a seasoned higher education administrator and a visionary leader with a keen sense for strategy, innovation and building coalitions. Focused on student equity and success, she possesses over 20+ years of experience in higher education. This includes leading, designing and implementing workforce, higher education programs and strategic initiatives in collaboration with corporate, government and non-profits. Girardelli was the founder of Diversity-In-Tech Initiative [2014-2018] which brought together K-12, community colleges, universities, non-profits, business/industry & government partners to develop pathways (colleges to career) for women and underrepresented populations in the Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) fields throughout the SF Bay Area.

Girardelli holds an Ed.D in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University, a MS degree in Higher Education Administration from California State University-East Bay and a BA degree in Psychology from California State University-East Bay.

Girardelli is particularly interested in the intersection of academic innovations, workforce development and community impact.

In addition to her role at Northeastern, Girardelli currently serves on several community boards centered on workforce and regional economic development, community development and is a volunteer counselor with local youth group.

Girardelli is married to Mike Girardelli and has 3 children. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, relaxing at the beach, watching old movies, and reading historical fiction and suspense novels.

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Ask me about:
• Academic program partnerships
• Creating new learning opportunities with Northeastern in the Bay Area

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Ask me about:
• Connecting with the Dean and Regional CEO
• Finding the best contact for your inquiry

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Ask me about:
• Creating new talent pipelines for your enterprise
• Developing upskilling opportunities for your workforce

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Ask me about:
• Anything related to career development, career planning, resume\cover letter, interviewing skills, co-op, job\internship search.

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Ask me about:
• Finding hands-on learning opportunities
• Gaining confidence in your networking skills

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Ask me about:
• Involvement opportunities to enrich your campus experience
• Navigating university resources

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Ask me about:
• Getting involved in student interest groups and leadership
• University resources to help you succeed

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Ask me about:
• 1:1 wellness support
• Resources available to support your full health

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Ask me about:
• Experiences of or concerns about discrimination or harassment
• Northeastern policies about discrimination and harassment

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Ask me about:
• Immigration-related matters for international students
• Relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area

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Ask me about:

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Ask me about:
• Course selection
• Career goals

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Ask me about:
• Course planning
• TA/tutoring support

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Ask me about:
• How to improve your English academic writing, listening, speaking, reading, and presentation skills
• One-to-one tutorials, workshops, cultural activities on and off campus, and non-credit courses

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Ask me about:
• Campus events
• Campus access and Husky ID cards

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Ask me about:
• General questions
• Reserving study spaces

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Ask me about:
• Studying at our campuses in San Francisco and Silicon Valley
• Programs and degrees offered

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Ask me about:
• Nominating a student or alumni for our spotlight series
• Getting publicity for your project or event

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