Alfred University alumna Kassie McCarn named assistant director, Bernstein Center for Advising

ALFRED, NY – Alfred University alumna Kassie McCarn ’16, ’18 MSEd has been named assistant director at the Pamela Lavin Bernstein ’71 Center for Advising, Nadine Shardlow ’86, ’17 MSEd, interim co-vice president for Student Affairs, announced on Thursday, March 3.

The Center for Advising was established in 2017-18 with philanthropic support from Alfred University alumna Pamela Lavin Bernstein ’71. The Center is staffed by professional academic coaches who work with students, coordinating services provided by the Career Development Center, Financial Aid Office, the Center for Academic Success, and faculty advisors. The Center’s goal is to improve student retention and four-year graduation rates.

McCarn earned bachelor’s degree in psychology and political science (minor in equestrian studies) from Alfred University in 2016 and a master’s degree in college student development, also from Alfred University, in 2018.

She has been with the Center for Advising since its inception. Prior to her new appointment, she served as an academic success coach in the Center for Advising. In that role, her duties included advising first-year students in their transition to collegiate life; helping students set academic goals aimed at helping them with timely degree completion; facilitating growth in the areas of time management, study skills, knowledge of resources, and professional communication in all students; and assisting in the development and implementation of the University’s Summer Orientation Program.

Shardlow, who also serves as the Center’s executive director of the Center for Advising and as director of Alfred University’s HEOP Program, praised McCarn for her work in making the Center a success.

“Kathy Woughter (former VP of Student Affairs) and I hired Kassie as our first Academic Success Coach to begin staffing the Pamela Lavin Bernstein Center for Advising. What a coupe that was!” Shardlow remarked. “She and I moved forward together and put a concept into practice. We could never have accomplished what we have without her. She has taken on leadership roles along the way; not only for herself but because she knew that if she stepped up, the Center would be better for it.”

From August 2020 to August 2021, McCarn served as interim assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Part of her duties in that role included overseeing and coordinating academic advising within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, including advisor assignment and chairing the advising committee. From January 2017 to May 2018, McCarn—a former student-athlete on the Alfred University equestrian team—served as Life Skills coordinator in the Department of Athletics. In that position, she advised first-year students in transition to collegiate life; mentored first-year student-athletes in adjusting to their new role/responsibilities at the collegiate level; and collaborated with staff and faculty to determine areas in need of higher levels of support for student-athletes.