College of Education and Human Development

Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Dana Downey

  • Pronouns: she, her, hers

  • Doctoral Student, CIDE (LIIE cohort)

Dana Downey

Areas of interest

  • Global higher education
  • The university and the public good
  • Intercultural education
  • Education to employment
  • Emergency education
Degrees

MA Counselor Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 2012
BS Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida, 2005

Biography

I am curious about the overlap between universities and the public good in the global context, and the potential public and private benefits of higher education in the building (or rebuilding) of a nation. Based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, I am specifically interested in the Middle East context, including the education to employment gap, emergency education, and intercultural education.

At present, I serve as the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of the Career Development Center at New York University Abu Dhabi. Having worked in higher education on three continents, I aim to connect people with each other and with opportunities, build capacity on teams, and lower barriers to access when it comes to options. In the past, I have presented at local, regional, and international conferences about contextualized career advising, data-driven decision making, regionally relevant recruitment, and the advantage of global mobility.

Publications

Downey, D. (2020). #Blacklivesmatter: A New Age Of Student Activism. International Higher Education, Autumn 2020 (104), 8-10.

Downey, D. & Raja, H. (2018). Career Counseling in the United Arab Emirates. In Yoon, H. J. (Editor) & Hutchinson, B, Maze, M., Pritchard, C., Reiss, A. (Eds.), International Practices of Career Services, Credentials, and Training. National Career Development Association. 174-184.

Cokley, K., Hall-Clark, B., & Hicks, D. (2011). Ethnic minority-majority status and mental health: the mediating role of perceived discrimination. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 33, 243-263.

Presentations

Downey, D. & Rafi, A., Buhazza, R., Troia, Z. (2017). UAE Employment Market: A Non-Placement Employer Engagement Strategy to Boost Graduate Employment [Conference presentation]. 11th Annual MENASA NASPA Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Downey, D.. & Buhazza, R. (2016). The Uncertainty of Diversity: Perspective-Taking About Work Access [Conference presentation]. International Association for Vocational and Educational Guidance (IAEVG) Conference, Madrid, Spain.

Downey, D.. & Rafi, A. (2016). A Paradox of Labor Market in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Increasing Student Employability [Conference presentation]. Asian Pacific Career Development (APCDA) Conference,Taipei, Taiwan.

Downey, D.. & Rafi, A. (2016). Redefining Recruiting: Connecting Students with the World of Work [Conference presentation]. 10th Annual MENASA NASPA Conference, Dubai, UAE.

Downey, D.. (2015). Global Conflict & Social Strata: College Career Counseling for the Discouraged and Disenfranchised [Conference presentation]. IAEVG Conference, Tsukuba, Japan.

Downey, D.. & Raja. H. (2014). Career Development Basics: Career Development for the Non-Career Services Professional [Conference presentation]. MENASA NASPA Conference, Al Ain, UAE.

Downey, D. & Cash, A. (2014). International Internships [Conference presentation]. National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). San Antonio, TX, USA.

Downey, D.. (2012). Identity, Mobility, and Marginality: Coaching the Globally Mobile Student on their Career Journey [Conference presentation]. Southern Association of Colleges and Employers, St. Petersburg, FL, USA.